


Shadow Over Starling

by The_White_Wolf



Category: Arrow (TV 2012), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Season/Series 05, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen, Laurel Lance Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2020-12-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:06:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 65,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26516425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_White_Wolf/pseuds/The_White_Wolf
Summary: Starling City is slowly on the mend from the destruction of the Glades the year before due to Genesis, and now a killer known as Prometheus has come to Star City and has dire plans for the city's vigilantes.
Relationships: Laurel Lance & Oliver Queen, Laurel Lance & Thea Queen, Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen, Oliver Queen & Thea Queen
Comments: 239
Kudos: 53





	1. Picking Up The Pieces

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to thank the Lauriver Discord for their help and support with this fic. And Okori for giving me his thoughts on the first few chapters. If you haven't checked out his fics, I highly recommend you do so, I really enjoy them. 
> 
> I am going to be using Star City and Starling interchangeably since many of these characters have lived all their lives calling their home Starling.
> 
> I borrowed the name of the NGO, FEAST from Spiderman PS4.

She hated events like this, she could feel the eyes of most of the cops, her father's former colleagues, keeping an eye on her as she walked to the bar and ordered a glass of water. The bartender gave her a small smile and gave her the glass.

"Making sure that your hand is never empty, smart." A voice said behind her.

"Adrian." Laurel addressed him, politely, as her Assistant District Attorney ordered himself a scotch on the rocks. "I was about to talk to Captain Pike, and Walter Steele."

"I know we have only worked together for a few months, but are you sure you are alright? When you aren't putting your nose to the grindstone at work, you look down."

She gave Adrian Chase a small smile. "I'm still mourning my father. It's been months, but I still miss him."

"My friend lost his father, he found it easier to cope once he knew that his father's murderer was to face justice. At least you have that, even if Damien Darhk never faced trial for the actions that led to your father's death." He said before he excused himself and moved towards a woman who Laurel could only assume was his wife.

Laurel smiled and waved at several people she recognized until she walked up beside Walter and Thea. "I believe that Oliver has the best interests of our city at the forefront of his mind and I wouldn't have agreed to be his deputy otherwise," Walter said, addressing Susan Williams' concerns.

Laurel tried her best to stay polite and sociable, despite the woman digging up Laurel's past with Oliver. The reporter was also investigating the alleged corruption in Oliver's government, and whether if some of his appointments, like her, Thea, and Walter, were acceptable placements considering their ties to him. Laurel had been getting the brunt of it, especially since Oliver and she had started to become close after she survived what happened in Iron Heights.

"If Mayor Queen has this city as his priority, where is he? Surely he should be here considering he is hosting this gala to swell the city's coffers?"

"It wouldn't be the first time, he is late. I'm sure he is just concluding some business." Thea added, taking a sip from her champagne glass.

"Very true, Thea," Walter added, before addressing Williams. "I'm sure if you wait a few minutes you will find the Mayor around. If you will excuse me?"

Thea started to turn around when Susan Williams spoke again, "His business." The reporter said after Walter had left to talk to a small group of men and women. Laurel turned her attention back to Williams. "Blonde or Redhead?"

Thea looked at Laurel with a small smirk, "Brunette, actually."

"My sources say that he prefers blondes, lately." The reporter said with a small upturned lip, looking towards Laurel.

Between Oliver spending more time with her and Felicity leaving to start her own company in Nevada, there had been rumors that she and Ollie had become an item. This meant that she and Oliver had to deal with their past being dredged up. It was something that the media were fond of. They enjoyed trying to make a chink in Ollie's leadership, along with mentioning the rising crime and poverty in The Glades, as well as the neighboring districts of The Triangle, and The Warehouse District.

"Until you have actual questions that do not border on tabloid journalism, you will have to ask Oliver questions relating to his government, tomorrow." Laurel then looked at Thea, who was not even trying to hide her amusement at the reporter being shut down. "His meeting with Ms. Williams is tomorrow, right?"

Thea's head bobbed up and down. "Oliver has a press conference tomorrow, around ten o'clock with Ms. Williams."

The two women walked away from the journalist when they noticed Barry Allen was making his way towards them, he looked at them with something between curiosity and anger. "Something's happened," Laurel said as she moved towards their friend, with Thea close behind.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Green Arrow and Anarchy fell through the floor, his shoulder throbbed from landing on it. He moved towards the bomb, and started to look at the wires, "Terrific, instructions?"

 _"Good question,"_ Curtis said, but was interrupted as Oliver turned on his heel and pushed kicked Anarchy across the room before his foe could jump back up to his feet. The Archer fired a bola arrow that wound itself around the concrete column and Machin. The man could only watch as Green Arrow started to disarm the bomb.

"Why won't you just kill me?" Anarchy whined.

Green Arrow didn't listen, instead, he cut the wires that Curtis had told him to sever. The next thing, The Green Arrow heard a gun-shot. The window was shattered. Green Arrow turned to see Anarchy was shot in the chest. He looked back up to see a figure wearing a blue shirt and a hockey mask walk away.

Oliver shot his grapple arrow and found himself on the rooftop that the sniper was on, only to find it empty, only the man didn't police his brass. Oliver picked up one of the casings before he heard Curtis again.

_"G.A. Laurel and your sister are wondering what your ETA is?"_ _  
_

Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose. He had completely forgotten that he was supposed to be at The Gala. "I'll swing by the bunker before I head there. Tell them, I'll be there in five to ten minutes".

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Laurel walked towards Barry, there was something in the way he looked at her that made her feel uneasy. She continued to follow him as he moved away from the main hall that held the gala and down into one of the hallways.

"What's up with him?" Thea whispered.

"No idea," Laurel answered as she followed Barry into a room, only for the door to be slammed behind her and Thea. And now, Barry was pinning her against the wall, his hand in front of her chest, vibrating so fast that it was blurry. "Barry?"

His eyes narrowed, but Laurel could still see the tears forming in his eyes. "You helped him! You helped him, and you expect no consequences for your actions!?" Barry snarled, his eyes had small sparks in them.

Laurel gasped as she felt The Flash's hand wrap around her neck. She could fight him off, or at least attempt to. He was angry, that was evident, but she wasn't aware of what she had done to make him want to attack her.

"Get away from her!" Thea growled, drawing a knife from her clutch, before dropping the bag.

"She's not who you think she is." Barry snapped, not looking at Thea, his eyes not leaving Laurel's. "She helped Zoom!"

Laurel shook her head, "No I didn't." She managed to say. "I was recovering…" Barry loosened his grip, as Thea stepped between the speedster and Laurel. "Darhk stabbed me in the chest with an arrow, my dad died that morning."

" _My_ arrow," Oliver said, looking between Barry and Laurel and Thea. His eyes moved to Laurel, whose dress was slightly disheveled, before looking at Barry. "Laurel wasn't in Central City when you were fighting Zoom."

"She's not your Laurel, Ollie."

"She is," Oliver said calmly. "I was there when she came out of surgery. Thea and I were there when we helped Laurel bury her father."

Laurel flattened her dress. Ollie had been there for her since she was stabbed. He was the one that carried her to the hospital. He gave her numerous reassurances that she would be okay. That she would live. Once she came out of surgery the second time, he was still there. She felt ashamed that a small part of her expected to wake up to him not being there. Especially after she had opened her heart to him, they hadn't spoken of that night beyond talking about her injuries. He and Speedy have done so much for her in the last few months.

Barry mumbled something, before he looked at Laurel, his eyes teary. "It's all my fault. I'm sorry." He flinched backwards.

"What is your fault?" She heard Thea ask, not moving from her side, even in the corner of her eye she could see Oliver was ready to jump to her aid.

"I've upturned everyone's lives. I caused Flashpoint, and it altered the timeline." He looked at Laurel, his eyes tearing up. "Zoom murdered my Dad, so I went back in time to save my mother, and I did." He said, letting out a laugh that didn't reach his eyes. There was no mirth, only self-loathing. "I had to let Eobard kill my mother to make things as close to as they were before."

"What happened to the timeline?" Oliver asked.

"Cisco's brother is dead. Joe and Iris are distant. And now, your father… Laurel…" He said, tears filling his eyes. "I killed your father, I caused Flashpoint which swapped your death for his."

She stumbled backwards, and felt the solid wall behind her. She wasn't sure she wanted to believe that their fates could be altered. She had always believed that things just happen, and there isn't always a reason. But when there was, there was a link between the action and consequences. Flashpoint seemed so abstract.

Barry wasn't to blame for her father's death. She was. She had gone out that night, she knew that her father's heart wasn't as strong as it used to be. Her injury at the hands of Darhk was her fault. If she stayed at home as Oliver had asked, her dad would still be alive.

"Laurel?" Oliver said softly as he came to her side, gently rubbing her shoulder.

She looked at Barry, who looked like he was ready to bolt at a moment's notice, or cower in the corner and allow the three of them to beat him up. "It's not your fault, Barry. You may have changed the timeline, but it doesn't negate our own, my own actions. " She said, wiping away the tears from her eyes, and slowly moved to wrap her arms around the younger man. "It's not your fault, Barry." She whispered.

"It is."

"It isn't." She said pulling back, giving the biggest smile she could muster, despite feeling her heartache from the guilt. "We have to leave, Ollie has to make an appearance or we won't hear the end of it."

Thea smirked, "Understatement of the century. I'm sure that Ollie could use another friendly face out in the crowd."

"You sure, I don't want to impose," Barry asked, looking between Laurel, Oliver, and Thea.

"Barry, you are a friend. It's not imposing if you were invited." He then patted his friend on the back and walked out with him into the main hall. As he did, he looked back at Laurel and gave her a look, which meant that he wanted to speak to her after all of this was done.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver walked out and was greeted by several members of the city council before Captain Pike shook his hand. "I was starting to get worried that Starling was left without a mayor again."

Oliver shook his hand and gave him a congenial smile. "My apologies, I was held back due to a bit of traffic and last-minute signatures."

Oliver moved towards the dais so that he could address the crowd of the city's elite. He never would have imagined that when he came home after his five years in hell that almost five years later he would be rubbing shoulders with these people, asking them to help him save Starling City.

Walter grabbed his arm, "Oliver, a word?" Oliver stepped towards him so that Walter could speak in a lower tone of voice. "I know what you do of a night is invaluable. I do, and I am grateful that you entrusted me with your secret. I would, however, prefer that if _he_ must leave when you have a meeting or a prior engagement that I receive a warning. I cannot help you salvage this city while being left in the lurch."

Oliver gave him a small nod. "I understand, and I will do my best not to keep you too much in the dark."

"I appreciate that." He then gestured his head towards the dais. "Go on then." As he stood upon the platform, his sister handed him a glass. He tapped his glass and looked over at the sea of people. His eyes scanned the room to see his friends. Curtis was standing with his husband, Paul. Adrian Chase was mingling with some of the police officers, including the Police Commissioner. His eyes moved across to see that Laurel was off to the side, still speaking to Barry.

Oliver could see the pain in her eyes from here. She was hurting, and yet there she was trying to help Barry work through what he was feeling. Always putting everyone first, and herself second.

He took a sip from the glass to taste the sparkling grape juice. A small token to show Laurel that she wasn't alone. He had started to forego alcohol after she came out of surgery to find that her father had passed away. He joined her in her sobriety when things had gotten hard for Laurel, and he hasn't looked back.

"Good evening, and I just wanted to thank you all for attending this gala. Star City, our home has been through hell. There is no denying that we have endured horrific terror attacks. The Undertaking, The Siege, The Outbreak, and last year, we lost a significant portion of our city. About eighty percent of The Glades lies in ruin. The rest of The Glades is struggling as are the surrounding areas." Oliver took a deep breath, "Star City has been in a crucible for the last few years. And we will come out of this stronger together. Tonight is just an example of how united our city can be in spite of all that has happened. With the donations that we receive tonight, we can provide proper resources for those who no longer have a roof over their heads or food filling their bellies. And everyone who has donated, or is intending on donating tonight, I, on behalf of Star City thank you."

Walter stepped forward, "Mayor Queen can take a few questions, then we shall allow him to mingle, and we can all enjoy our evening."

Walter selected one of the reporters, "Mayor Queen, you say that you intend to rebuild The Glades, what is your plan to prevent another attack from leveling the city once again?"

"That's a good question. A portion of the money received tonight will be granted to the Star City Police Department and to the rest of the emergency services. I am also currently in talks with the District Attorney's office," Oliver said, looking from Laurel to Adrian, before looking at Captain Pike and the commissioner. "Along with Captain Pike and The Commissioner Cameron, we will find the best way to prevent and deal with the rising crime rate in our city."

Susan Williams was next. "What is your statement regarding the alleged nepotism and corruption in your government, Mr. Mayor?"

Oliver cleared his throat, saying, "Another good question, Ms. Williams, however, we are here to talk about the initiative to rebuild our city. I have spoken to several people who are not affiliated with my government, who are also helping in any way they can.

"Are you stating on the record that you are working alongside vigilantes? Is the Green Arrow, Black Canary, and The Red Archer to be deputized?"

Oliver shook his head, he should have worded his response better. Adrian said it was best for the city's leadership to distance themselves from or completely oppose vigilantism. That they only encourage a cycle of violence that leaves the city in ruins. "I was not speaking of vigilantes." Oliver said, "I was speaking of community leaders and members of the public. "Several businesses and other individuals are currently in talks with my office to see how we can work together to get Star City back on its feet."

As other hands were raised, some were asking about who he was speaking of and what he planned on doing to prevent vigilantism. Oliver raised his hand, before speaking. "I think that is more than enough, now please enjoy your evening. I have also asked the caterers to send a significant portion of the food they have made to be sent along with other foods that will be delivered down to Verdant, which is currently housing a not-for-profit group, known as Food, Emergency, Aid, Shelter, and Training. FEAST. A group consisting of people who once worked for the nightclub, along with others who want to help."

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver found himself entering The Bunker, once the elevator doors opened, he could hear the sounds of someone using the hard bags. He slowly walked past the command center to see Laurel, her hair slick from sweat, and her skin glistened in the light.

He leaned against one of the columns and watched as she punched, ducked, weaved, and kicked. Ever since she started her physiotherapy with Paul, and completed it, she had been working harder than ever to improve her form.

He moved towards the kali sticks. He turned back to Laurel, who was still hitting the bags. Oliver whistled before he threw the wooden sticks at her, Laurel deftly caught the sticks and understood that he wanted to train.

He started slowly but quickly started attacking her in different directions, and Laurel quickly adapted to his differing angles and speeds. "You didn't kill your father, you know that?"

Laurel deflected one of his hits before going on the offense, switching it up and forcing him onto the back foot. "I know that. I know his heart wasn't as strong as it used to be. I know that it could have happened any other time from the stress of his work. It doesn't alleviate the guilt. And now that I find out that through some form of time travel, I lived and he didn't. It should have been me. I was fated to die that night."

"Or fate gave you another chance?" What he wanted to say though was it gave _us_ another chance. But he didn't want to ruin what they had started to rebuild. They were best friends. He helped her recover, and she helped him navigate some of the politics that she had been living in for most of her life. Perhaps, for now, that was enough, despite what his heart wanted.

"Maybe." She granted. "It just feels like since Dad died, and Sara returned and left just as quickly as she came, I have been left to pick up the pieces again.

Oliver shook his head, still deflecting Laurel's blows, and narrowly missing her feint. "You are not alone, Laurel. I'm here, and so is Speedy. All three of us are family and always will be."

Laurel lowered her sticks, and he did the same. She moved her sticks into one hand, and cupped his jaw, "You should probably rest. You have an interview with Susan Williams, and then later you have pledged to help FEAST down at Verdant."

Oliver leaned into her warm hand. "Do you want to go on a patrol with me tonight?"

Laurel shook her head, "I can't. When I put on the suit, I freeze… It's like I can see Darhk impaling me with the arrow again."

"Alright," Oliver said softly, wrapping his arms around her.

"I feel useless, all because I'm scared to go out there."

All he did was kiss the crown of her head. He had the same fears for her. A part of him wanted to save their city by day and night together. The other part of him was scared at what would happen if he had lost her. He didn't even want to imagine the kind of person would be in the other timeline after he had lost her. She was the love of his life.

"You aren't useless. You have been helping me navigate the politics around City Hall, and helped me come up with plans that can help our city." He then stepped back and moved towards his emerald suit. "I'll put on my work clothes, are you okay to man the comms while the others are away?"

Laurel nodded. "I can handle that." He then followed Laurel's eyes as she looked at one of the monitors showing a program searching for the man in the sketch. The man who had worn a hockey mask and a blue shirt. A rogue vigilante.

"Can we talk later tonight?"

"What about your early morning?" She asked. He wanted to smile at her fretting about his reputation.

"Being the mayor is important, but there are some things that are _more_ important, like family." _Like you._ "We can talk when I get back, okay?"

"Okay." She echoed back.

It wasn't the first night that he had stayed up talking with Laurel after she had almost died. And in some ways, he felt like their private meetings were just as important to him as it was to her. He could be honest. It felt liberating, revealing his doubts to her, just as it seemed to help her.


	2. Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week, I plan to start posting each chapter on Sunday AEST, with the occasional post on a Wednesday as a bonus chapter.

He stood off to the side of the press room and turned to see Thea, Laurel, and Walter there ready to give him moral support. Susan Williams signaled that she was ready to start recording. Oliver shook Walter's hand and hugged both his sister and Laurel before taking his seat at the table with Ms. Williams.

"Before we get started, I just wanted to say that I appreciate the fact that you are willing to have a one on one with me."

Oliver smiled, "It's not a problem, Ms. Williams, I believe in the importance of the press."

"Let's see if you feel that way after the interview." She quipped, before clearing her throat. "Mr. Mayor, last night at the Star City Gala, you spoke of the funds being spread to different parts of the city. Would you care to enlighten the people of this city where this money is being allocated to?"

Oliver smiled, he had many plans to help the city. "The money from last night's gala is being spread to five different groups. One of these groups is the heroes of this city that don't wear masks or wield bows and arrows, the Emergency Services. These brave men and women go out into our city to keep us safe and healthy. Commissioner Cameron has assured me that he and the other leaders of the emergency services are looking into counseling options for their people after what they endured after Genesis."

Oliver then took a sip of water, before explaining that he intended to use a portion of the donation to larger hospitals in Star City. These hospitals would look after more people and free up some of the beds in the smaller cramped hospitals.

"I have also been in talks with Union Allied Construction and we are currently in negotiations to see them become our primary construction company to rebuild The Glades and some of the surrounding areas. Our ambition is to create cheap and affordable apartments for the many people who have become disenfranchised from these terrorist attacks. As we are speaking, a couple of warehouses in The Triangle have been converted into apartments, and several buildings are partially built, and should be finished being built in several months."

Oliver then handed her a brochure, "And finally some of the funds will be donated to a home-grown not-for-profit that is currently working out of Verdant, and a couple of the surrounding warehouses. FEAST. I have seen first hand how well this group of humanitarians has helped the people of our city."

Susan Williams nodded as she briefly flicked through the brochure. "I have to say, you are certainly the most ambitious Mayor in perhaps our city's history. Speaking of history, your mother before her untimely death was in the running for mayor. And yet she was a known associate of Malcolm Merlyn, what do you say to the people of Star City about their fears regarding elitism and alleged corruption, not just in your government, but in the city at large?"

"My mother, she wasn't perfect, but I'm not her. I firmly believe that the child doesn't inherit their parents' sins. I know that some people still remember me as the playboy billionaire, who would sleep around. I'm not that man anymore, I haven't been that person for a long time. My time on a deserted island showed me what it is like to feels like to fall asleep with an empty stomach. It also made me realize just how important this city is. It was how a mentor, of mine, saw the city. The late Captain Quentin Lance."

Susan wrote something down in her book. "Speaking of family, and the Lance family. When you announced who you had appointed as high ranking officials, eyebrows were raised, and whispers of corruption and nepotism were heard, how would you respond to those concerned voices?"

Oliver looked over to Laurel, then to Walter and Thea. He had to play it very carefully, this wasn't just a job for any of them. This was Laurel's career, Walter had given up his career at Starling National Bank, all because he believed that Oliver was doing the right thing. Thea had followed her family in restoring the city that she loved.

"I deny that there were any cases of nepotism. My deputy, Walter Steele, was the CEO of Queen Consolidated, and then became the CFO of Starling National Bank. I asked him to become my deputy because he is a man renowned for his integrity and leadership. My sister, Thea, was selected as my Chief of Staff because she is qualified, and has the city's best interests at heart."

"And Dinah Laurel Lance?" Susan Williams prodded. "District Attorney Lance has a history of substance abuse and alcoholism and is the daughter of the disgraced SCPD captain. Quentin Larry Lance. A man who was working with Damien Darhk."

"Laurel is a dear friend," Oliver said carefully. "She has been through hell and back, yes she has had issues with addiction, but she came out the other end stronger and more determined. She was already poised to become the next District Attorney under Ruve Adams. And no one blinked an eye. I selected Laurel, not because she is my ex-girlfriend or my friend. But because she is the best person for the job. Her entire career has been dedicated to protecting and caring for Star City. I believe that it would be an injustice not just to her, but to the city if she was not appointed as the District Attorney."

He looked over at Laurel, who had started to blush slightly at his praise. "Ms. Williams, my slogan for the election, was united. And I intend on showing that I am united with my team, regardless of their past. It's only together that we will bring a new dawn to Starling City, we can not do that alone."

"Well said." Susan took another few notes, before she looked back up at Oliver, from the other side of the table. "You mentioned that Verdant, your former nightclub that remained unattached to Queen Consolidated? Verdant is the last of your family's business legacy in the city, if you will, what is your arrangement with the director of FEAST?"

"Mr. Church had arranged a meeting with my sister, and myself, to either purchase or rent the building for his NGO; the nightclub was closed after a woman was attacked, before being saved by the Green Arrow and Black Canary. It didn't reopen due to HIVE's presence in the city. After Thea and I learned that Mr. Church was a good Samaritan, and intended on providing food, shelter, education, and other necessities for the people in The Glades, and The Triangle, we offered him to use the club for free until the city could stand on its own, on the proviso that the men and women who were working at Verdant were employed for their original wage."

"It certainly speaks to the kind of person that you are. That you are doing everything in your power not just to help the city through your office, but also through charities." She cleared her throat, "You mentioned the Black Canary and Green Arrow. What is your stance on vigilantism?"

Oliver shook his head as he tried to remember what Lance had said regarding The Arrow before Ra's and The League had ruined his reputation. "For almost five years, the city has been in danger, the SCPD, and even the citizens of this city have rallied behind either the Black Canary, or the Green Arrow, or even both simultaneously. They don't ask for praise, or gratitude, they along with their partners are people who give their sweat and blood for this city. Make no mistake, vigilantism will not be tolerated, but I will not hunt down the heroes who save it."

Out of the corner, of his eye, he watched Laurel wipe away a tear she had recognized that he was borrowing her father's speech. She mouthed a quick 'thank you.' to him. He turned back to Susan, as she started to ask about the growing crime rate. "How are you planning on lowering the crime rates in the city? The rise of gang crime is conducted by what the SCPD is calling them; the Spooky Crew, due to their zombie masks."

"I have a meeting with the District Attorney's office, along with Commissioner Cameron and Captain Pike, in a couple of days around this very issue, but rest assured, we will find a way to lower the crime rate."

"And finally, Mr. Mayor, Mr. Barry Allen, the CEO of STAR Labs, was spotted at your gala, would you care to elaborate on why you invited a CEO from a company that is infamous for its role in the explosion in Central City back in early December of 2013?"

Oliver hid his surprise and avoided looking at his family. He did not expect Barry to be acknowledged by the media. Oliver had expected him to be a nameless face in a sea of people. "Mr. Allen is a friend of mine. I posed a question to him regarding STAR Labs providing the SCPD with equipment that would assist them in arresting and apprehending enhanced criminals not too dissimilar from what we have seen over in Central City, or the masked men during The Siege." Oliver took a sip of water from his glass, "This includes not just technology in the field for our officers, but also making appropriate alterations to holding cells, and prisoner transport."

Susan Williams nodded. "Well I think that covers most of the issues surrounding the gala, and what you intend on doing with the finances." She stood up to shake Oliver's hand, which he accepted before she and her cameramen left the room.

"You did very well, Oliver. I daresay, that your mother and father would be proud of not just how you have conducted yourself, but also how you are applying yourself to save our city."

"Thank you, Walter." Walter shook his hand before he left.

Oliver turned his attention to the two most important women in his life, "What did you think of the interview?"

"I don't like her." Thea murmured, "You did well, shielding everyone from her inquisition."

"She's just doing her job. She has to ask those questions, Speedy." Laurel lightly chided. "If she didn't someone else would have. She watched Thea tell Oliver that she will wait for her brother in the car.

Laurel turned to make sure Thea had closed the door behind her before moving towards Oliver, who himself took several steps towards her as she wrapped her arms around his middle and tucked her head under his chin, as Oliver then wrapped one hand around her back and the other gently cradling the back of her head. "Thank you." She whispered. He placed a small peck on her crown, "Walter is right though, I know for a fact that your parents would be proud. So would my dad."

"How's that?" He asked, "Did you wake up from your surgery with powers that you didn't tell me about?"

"I doubt it." She hummed. "No, I know they all would be proud because I am. And so is Speedy."

"I'm just doing the right thing." He said, feeling his face heat up somewhat from her praise.

"That's what a hero does, Ollie," Laurel said, pulling back and cupping his jaw with her hand before stepping back and leaving the room.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

His eyes scanned the city as they were taken to Verdant, Oliver couldn't help but feel a sense of longing for his friend, John Diggle. When Oliver volunteered last year to throw his hat into the ring to become mayor of the city. He had expected his friend to follow. The time during transport could have been used to discuss their plans, and strategies for their night activities, instead, he and Thea either spoke about mundane things or about their plans to help the city.

He also missed hearing some of Diggle's insights, perhaps not necessarily involving his love life or lack thereof, but he missed Diggle's presence. He had left to re-enlist into the army. It was him lying to himself, thinking that he could put distance between the problems he faced and thinking that would resolve the issues. Running away from your problems seldom solved anything, and often made things worse. He left after Tommy died, and it affected others, from his family to the city at large. He did it once again after he had served and killed Ra's. And his city, and sister suffered for it.

And for the first time in a long time, he had stopped running, and he had completely mended most issues with his sister, and he and Laurel were close once again. And for that, he could never be more grateful. The city, as well, was on a slow incline, even if he would be labeled the optimist for thinking so.

Oliver just hoped that Diggle would soon find himself, so after his tour was over, he would know who he was, and what he wanted in his life. Whatever he chose, Oliver would accept.

Eventually, they pulled outside of Verdant to see that the old foundry had once again been completely overhauled. The parking lot was filled with cars in one section, the rest of the large yard space was a small city of tents, and donated caravans. The spirit of the city he once remembered or romanticized was still there, people donating their possessions to help those in need.

He and Thea, along with several others, walked through the small walkways before entering Verdant to see that the inside had also been altered, the bar was now a kitchen, and several bunk-beds were in the corner, where the stage is.

Boxes were littered around, with words designating what was hidden inside. Eventually, he walked past a couple of old men playing chess, before he saw the man that he had been looking for. "Mr. Church?"

The African American man looked up from the bench near the kitchen, where he had a pink cake in his hands. "Mayor Handsome." Church chuckled, "I was wondering when you would visit us again, I should really see about setting you up down here. I see you brought your sister," He smiled at Thea, "The Queen Family has done far more than anyone would expect, I can't ask you to continue to help us."

"I don't recall being asked," Thea replied with a wry smile. "Besides, it's the right thing to do. Someone's birthday?"

"Yeah, a little orphan girl. As I said, you both, along with Miss Lance, have given up so much for the people of The Glades and asked for nothing in return, I only wish that there were more people in the world, in this city that did the same."

Oliver smiled, and let Church hand the cake to one of the social workers, along with a couple of toys. Oliver followed, and moved to the little girl, and said "Happy birthday!" He then handed a hundred dollar bill to her guardian. "It's not much, but hopefully you can get her something new, something nice."

He then returned to Thea, as they waited for Church to return. "Is there anything that you need?" Thea asked.

"I think we have the necessities for a while at least." He then looked at one of the young men, snapped his fingers, and silently ordered them to quickly stack some of the boxes.

"You run a tight ship," Oliver remarked as he watched the young man scurry towards the boxes to stack them against the wall.

Church gave a small chuckle. "I have to be a bit of an autocrat when it comes to working with some of the people from The Glades, or The Triangle. All they know is roughness, and sometimes they need a strong hand to help guide them, someone, they respect. Unfortunately, some only respect strength. I have to act accordingly."

Oliver wasn't sure he agreed with his leadership, but it wasn't his call, and as far as he knew, Tobias Church hadn't committed any crimes, and there was generally a police presence in the area, to the point that James Cameron had suggested that they should have a police bus nearby to maintain the peace. "Just… Just be easy on them, they have had more than their fair share of grief."

Church didn't respond to the advice, instead gesturing to a group of young men. "If you want to help, I would appreciate if you spoke to the SCPD, and gave them a warning about several street gangs that have attempted to recruit or conscript people, especially the more vulnerable teens who looking for somewhere to belong. The Triads, The Bratva, Culebra Gang, and Los Halcones have all tried their hand at using these people for nefarious purposes, and it makes me sick. He then lifted up his maroon collared shirt to reveal a wound, and the surrounding area was covered in nasty purple bruises.

"The Culebra Gang tried to gut me because I refused to pay tribute to them."

Oliver gave a small nod. "You have my word that I will talk to the District Attorney's office and Commissioner Cameron to crack down on organized crime. We will protect you, and these people, I promise."

"Oh, you don't need to worry about me, Mr. Mayor. I can handle myself, its these people I can't lose to the likes of those gangs."

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Speedy and Green Arrow flew through the streets, bobbing and weaving through what was left of the streets and alleys of The Glades, chasing members of The Spooky Crew.

Speedy was on the back of her brother's bike, trying her best to get a clear shot at one of their tires. The car zigzagged through the alley's, and construction sights for the past half an hour. She was beginning to get irritated at the thugs. They were trying to waste their time. Trying to make them give up, but they didn't know the mettle that her brother possessed, that she possessed. After a couple of near-collisions between an oil tanker and a crane. Speedy finally had a clear shot as she leaned to the side and drew her bow, only to watch in horror as the blue four-door hatchback hit a utility pole before she had loosed her arrow. 

Her brother came to an abrupt stop, and they both jumped off the motorcycle and ran towards the crash to get the people out. She broke open one of the back windows and pulled out a young woman, while Ollie had managed to drag the others out, a few minutes later the car exploded.

Green Arrow grabbed the male passenger and ripped off his ghoul mask. "What the hell do you think you were doing?"

"I need money for my family…." The man muttered. "Charon gave us a chance to make a living, something that we have been robbed of."

Speedy sighed, she knew that Oliver would be blaming himself for this, that men and women were being manipulated to commit crimes just to survive. He had a bad habit of carrying other people's burdens as his own. Though, it was something that had started to mellow in the past few months.

She pressed her comms button in her suit, "Terrific, what do you know about Charon?"

"He's the ferry-master of the River Styx in Greek mythology."

Thea shook her head, "This isn't a riddle or a crossword problem, a gang-banger or some other kind of bad guy is manipulating people to commit crimes to make a living, and put food on their table"

"My bad." She heard Curtis muttering his apologies and making excuses that he was still new to the job. "There are mentions of someone known as Charon in Hub City, but no identification. I'll keep a lookout for him."

"We appreciate it, Mr. Terrific." Green Arrow said, with his voice still modulated. He then looked at her. "The SCPD and the paramedics will be arriving shortly. We should go."

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

It felt like her head was about to explode, she had been in court for the better part of the day. Laurel slumped into her office chair and sighed. She would have a few minutes to re-cooperate before she went over some more paperwork, mainly administrative work.

Unfortunately, her plans were ruined when she heard a small knock and saw Captain Pike, followed by Adrian Chase walk in. Pike took a seat in front of her desk, while Chase leaned against her filing cabinet, next to her bookshelf, that contained small personal possessions and other resources.

"I apologize for coming in abruptly, and without invitation, Miss Lance, but I'm here on an important matter, regarding necessary resources for the SCPD."

She passed Pike to see Chase nodding. "Apparently Walter Steele is currently negotiating with Kord Enterprises board of directors for their assistance with Star. The Queen siblings are MIA, Oliver's secretary mentioned that they were having some family time."

"So that leaves me? Why not the members of the city council?" Laurel asked, her eyes returning to her father's former colleague.

Pike leaned forward slightly, "I'm going, to be frank with you, Laurel, you are probably one of the few in this building who know intimately just how dangerous the life of a police officer is, especially here in Star City." He cleared his throat. "We have another vigilante who seems to be the spiritual successor to The Hood. Only unlike The Hood, he kills, he murdered Lonnie Machin after The Green Arrow had captured him. Between this nut case, and the rising organized crime, we need assistance."

"It looks like having vigilantes around is a slippery slope after all," Chase said repentantly, even after noticing Laurel's glare. "We may have created men like this Hockey Mask Killer, all of us. We venerate vigilantes, so-called heroes, like The Green Arrow, The Flash, or The Black Canary."

"There is no connection." Laurel interrupted him. "You need evidence before you can make such a claim, Adrian."

Pike cleared his throat, saying, "Right now it doesn't matter who is at fault for creating him, or the reason for the crime wave, "Right now, we need to handle it. And you, Miss Lance, are the only person right now who can have Oliver Queen green light the Anti-Crime Initiative."

Laurel pursed her lips. The ACI had the potential to make it a lot more difficult for Oliver and Thea to continue their night job. It would also make it more dangerous for them. "Why not just wait until tomorrow to speak to Oliver?"

Pike squirmed in his chair, "As I said, you have personal experience as a family member of a police officer… You are also rather close to Oliver… he trusts your advice."

He was trying to manipulate the memory of her father to use her close friendship with Oliver to get what they wanted as if she were just a pawn. Laurel bit her cheek for a long second, "I'll talk to Oliver about the ACI, and that it should only happen after the SCPD has been investigated for corruption."

"You don't trust us?" Pike asked, looking slightly irritated, "You don't trust the same people who wore the same uniform as your father, and grandfather before he became a Federal Agent?"

"Captain Pike, I trust the SCPD to do their job, what was the old adage? Trust, but verify?" Laurel couldn't help but hide her vindictive smirk, her father wasn't given a funeral with full honors, despite him being cleared of all charges, as he was acting under duress. That wasn't the reason she wanted an investigation into police corruption. Malcolm Merlyn has bought officers in the past, as have others. They could only keep the city safe if the SCPD was above board.

"District Attorney Lance, I must beseech you…"

"I have made my decision, Captain." The Captain was getting irritated she could see it on his face.

Chase finally spoke, breaking the impasse, and in doing so made things worse for her. "It would benefit the city to have such a unit, though. A couple of different media outlets have already mocked the city's response to crime. We can have it attached to City Hall, all that matters is that we help the police crackdown on crime."

Laurel asked Pike to excuse her and Adrian Chase for a moment, only for the SCPD Captain to leave after saying that he has already said his peace. Laurel waited for the door to close behind Pike before she addressed Chase.

"I do not appreciate being undermined, Adrian, especially when I am negotiating on behalf of someone else. We can't afford to look like we are fighting amongst ourselves. I have already said that I appreciate all perspectives behind closed doors, but when we are dealing with something, we have a united front."

Chase snorted, "You better be careful, Laurel, you are starting to sound too much like Oliver, and talk of pillow-talk will follow. I don't want you falling into the deep end, and drowning."

"Don't worry about me, I'm a strong swimmer." She replied hotly, before telling him to leave her office.


	3. Stardust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, another chapter for you. I’m so happy that quite of few of you have liked Walter returning since we last saw him back in Season 2, or 3, And while he won’t be a major character he will still have importance. As with a number of my other season rewrites, or overhauls, I skip episodes or mix their order around somewhat. I like to skip some of the filler episodes and try to streamline the season not too dissimilar to how the Marvel Netflix shows had worked.
> 
> Since some people may ask, Commissioner James Cameron (A commissioner of Star City from the comics) will be portrayed by William Mcinnes, and his character is actually based on a police officer he played, Senior Constable Nick Schultz, in the Australian police drama called Blue Heelers. 
> 
> And Mackenzie ‘Mack’ Morgan (Mack Morgan is also a police officer from the comics) will be portrayed by Shemar Moore.

Laurel was working on some depositions when she heard the telltale sounds of a fight or at the very least the sound of people yelling, and a loud thump. She jumped out of her chair, quickly grabbing her pistol from her drawer, and moved towards the door. She opened the door, ready to aim and shoot if necessary, only to see a man being held down by security guards.

Laurel holstered her gun. She narrowed her eyes to the man with a bag that was slung over his shoulder and carried a few manila folders filled with documents loosely in his arms. "What is going on out here, this is City Hall, not an MMA gym."

"I apologize for the disruption, District Attorney Lance. This intruder jumped the security cordon."

The man grunted as he was allowed to get up onto his feet. "How else is a nobody like me supposed to arrange a meeting with the District Attorney?"

"Well, you can always book an appointment, it's usually considered the proper thing to do, and it tends to not lead to being tackled outside of my office," Laurel said dryly.

"I'm here to speak to you about your sister, Sara, and your friend Dr. Raymond Palmer."

Laurel immediately told the guards that she would talk to the man, before allowing him in and closing the door behind her. She then checked her watch, before looking at the man. "You have five minutes to tell me what you know about my sister and Raymond Palmer."

"Right." He mumbled. "My name is Nate Haywood. I'm a historian, and I think your sister, The White Canary, and Ray Palmer, The ATOM, need help."

"I'm not sure what you are referring to, Mr. Heywood. "I'm not sure what you are referring to, Mr. Heywood. Unless you are saying my sister and Ray Palmer are ghosts? Sara died with The Gambit. Ray died in an explosion a year ago in his own office. They were not involved in vigilantism. "

Nate cocked his head to the side, in a disbelieving manner. "I know that they are The White Canary, and The ATOM, just as I know that you are the Black Canary, and the Queen siblings are the Green Arrow and Speedy. It's not hard to connect the dots from Sara, Ray, and Oliver to the rest of you."

Laurel froze for a brief second before she concealed her fear. Nate had almost quoted Darhk verbatim before he tried to kill her. She exhaled, it didn't seem like Nate Heywood had noticed.

"That's a very bold claim, Mr. Haywood," Laurel said in a tone of voice that she usually utilizes in the courtroom. "Especially when you make such a statement about public officials and their families. If you go to the media or release this uncorroborated statement, we will all be able to file defamation lawsuits. And I doubt that would bode well for a man of your profession."

She had been through this with Ray, this man had fewer resources than him. If she could scare him off without resorting to physical threats or intimidation, she could keep Ray and the rest of her family safe. They could not afford to be on the back foot, not with them being on the front-line dealing with the recovery of Star City.

"I promise, my intentions are not to hurt them, or you. I genuinely believe they are in trouble." Nate then cleared his throat as Laurel relaxed her shoulders. "I have proof that your sister and Dr. Palmer are trapped in time." He then pulled out a file that showed: a hieroglyph of the Waverider, a photograph of a mosaic showing Ray being knighted by a king, and translated text that mentioned Sara in her white suit." He looked up from the photographs, to look at her beseechingly, "I don't care that you all are heroes. I care about protecting the timeline and saving your sister and friends. Help me, to help them. Please," he then handed her a satellite image of the Waverider on the ocean floor.

Laurel swallowed down the bile rising in her throat. She then looked at Nate Heywood. If Sara was in trouble, she had to help her. She was the last of her blood, as far as she was concerned. She hadn't heard from her mother since Sara died the second time. "I'll make a few calls and I'll help you," Laurel promised. "What exactly happened to them?"

"Their ship apparently was downed. According to my research, it is hidden in the pacific ocean, a few miles out from the bay."

She followed Nate out of her office. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Adrian, who was looking at them with interest. "Where are you going?" Chase asked her.

"Out, on Family business," Laurel said as she left.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

"G.A., B.C., there have been reports of drugs leading to a warehouse that sits on the borders of The Glades, The Triangle, and the Warehouse District. The warehouse is located at the intersection of O'Neil and Dillin." Terrific told the two vigilantes as they patrolled the city.

Green Arrow headed that way with Black Canary, out of the corner of his eye, he could see his sister, it was strange seeing his little sister in Laurel's suit. It felt wrong. "Spee… Canary. You take the side entrance."

He watched Thea sneak around the back of the warehouse as he shot a couple of the guards in the front of the building. Green Arrow jumped down, a couple more thugs charged after him, he grabbed one person's arm and broke it before throwing them into the next person, and watching them stumble back. He could only make out the Black Canary, taking out thugs of her own, inside the warehouse.

Green Arrow flipped another thug over his shoulder before sending a few quick punches to his head and knocking him out. They walked in to see the man they were looking for, he was wearing a zombie mask, that had a scar that resembled a star, or a sun.

The man moved towards Thea, she and the masked man were now fighting. Oliver ran towards them as they fought on top of the grated platforms above the vats. Oliver got up there, just in time to land a few punches and to remove his mask from the drug supplier. Once the mask was pulled off they heard gunfire. The two vigilantes stopped fighting and watched their foe stagger backwards, clutching his chest as he fell over the railing. Oliver lunged towards him to catch the man but wasn't quick enough. The man fell from the elevated platform and fell into the vat of Stardust.

Oliver squeezed his eyes shut before turning to see the murderous vigilante. He jumped off the platform and charged after the man. He threw a flechette, disarming the vigilante, who sent several hard hits to his head, while Thea managed to get behind him and kicked his legs from beneath him.

"I'm not your enemy, Hoss. But I can be." The hockey mask vigilante grunted.

Before Oliver was able to act, a flash-bang was thrown into the warehouse and disoriented them, Oliver grabbed his sister and fired a grapple arrow that sent them through the skylight, and onto the roof. Oliver looked down as he watched the vigilante duck and weave between the different vats, before disappearing. The SCPD had arrived too early and moved too quickly. And now they couldn't get information from the man who was creating this new drug for Charon. Nor apprehend the hockey mask vigilante.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver was just finishing signing paperwork. He had to stop this Hockey Mask Killer. He had already killed two people, and the last thing that he needed that the city needed was this Hockey mask vigilante causing a gang war, or a shooting massacre. The city was slowly recovering, though that didn't mean there weren't issues with gangs and corruption.

He sighed, dropping his pen, and cradling his head. They had just lost a high ranking member of the Spooky Crew, their last credible lead on Charon. His eyes drifted to the photograph on his desk, a picture of his family, unfortunately, the photograph was missing his son. He had to keep the boy safe, even if that meant that he would grow up without a father.

He broke out of his brooding when his door swung open, and promptly Adrian stormed into the office and stopped short of the next. "I'm going to level with you, Oliver. I am royally pissed off! We lost Derek Sampson, the man who was killed by this vigilante that we are calling The Hockey Mask Killer. We knew where Sampson was working. We were getting surveillance on him before The Green Arrow and the Black Canary botched it before this new vigilante tanked the whole operation."

"Your point?" Oliver asked, looking at his friend, or as close as someone who didn't know about his night job could be.

"We need to establish a zero-tolerance policy on crime, including vigilantism. It had worked for New York in the eighties and nineties. We need to establish a hard-line to keep everyone safe so that we can clean up our city so it doesn't end up like Gotham. No one wants to be like Gotham, not even them." Chase said with a small snort.

Oliver rose from his chair, his thumb and forefinger rubbing against each other. "And Laurel agrees with this?" Oliver asked. Laurel was generally against these sorts of methods. She was trying to find a fine line for them to tread as vigilantes to keep them safe. She wanted to prevent another SCPD crusade against them. He didn't like how Chase was trying to undermine her.

Chase shook his head, "Ah, no." He said. "Laurel is actually out." Chase scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "She left with a handsome looking man, they looked to be in a rush to get somewhere."

"She did?" Oliver found himself asking softly.

Adrian moved around the desk, and clapped him on the shoulder, "Listen, I've heard that since you are basically the unofficial ambassador for FEAST, I wanted to know how my wife and I could sign up."

Oliver blinked, happy to leave his thoughts of Laurel leaving with a man for the time being. " There is no sign-up, Church is generally happy to just assign volunteers to the roles that they need at the time."

"Fair enough," Adrian said with a smile. He then looked at his watch, "We should go out for a couple of drinks, a boys night out." The next thing he knew he was practically dragged to a small bar, they were sitting in a booth.

Chase called for the waitress, "I'll have a scotch, neat. Oliver?"

Oliver swallowed, and cleared his throat, "I'll just have some mineral water, thanks." He watched as Adrian raised his brow. "I've made a pledge to remain sober in solidarity with a good friend."

All Chase did was give him a pitying smile. "She's out with another guy, Ollie. You don't need to have her ball and chain around you, she isn't your Missus. You can be free. You have your own agency, man. "

Oliver shook his head as the waitress returned. "It doesn't matter. I made Laurel a promise after she found out her father died, that I wouldn't drink alcohol. That I would take up sobriety with her, that she wouldn't be alone." He meant it, he would always stand beside Laurel until the end of his days.

"She's got your heart in her hands, and doesn't even know that she is tearing it in two, does she?" Chase asked with a sad look and shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry, that must be hard."

Oliver pursed his lips for a second, before speaking. "It doesn't matter, I have broken promises to Laurel in the past, I'm not going to do it again." He watched as his friend took a sip from his glass, and grabbed a couple of peanuts from the bowl. "How's your family, Adrian?"

Oliver sipped his beverage as soon as he noticed Chase tense and straightened his back, and Oliver decided not to press the issue. "On a different topic, how do you feel about a gun-by-back that worked in Australia after the 1996 massacre?"

Chase leaned forward. "It's a bit harder to implement here in the states, we aren't an island. We also don't have the funds for a mass buy-back, most of the money from the fundraisers have already been allocated, and some used. And we can't just set up another fundraiser, I don't think the corporations will be willing to part with more money." Chase cracked his fingers, "And even if we could, that presupposes everyone in Starling would want to give up their guns. Not everyone does."

Oliver sighed, "What I think we need is more jobs, and organizations for people to apply themselves to, so that organized crime looks less desirable."

"What are we going to do about the rising crime in the meantime?"

"The CCPD Special Operations members will be arriving within the month to equip our officers with anti-meta human devices supplied by STAR Labs, along with providing training for them with what they have learned in the past few years since the Particle Accelerator Explosion."

"What, sit, and wait for The Flash to save their hides?" Chase sniggered.

"My contacts have assured me that the training is worthwhile," Oliver assured him, they then enjoyed the comfortable silence between them.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

"I'm in position." Speedy murmured into her radio before she popped her head around the corner to see the hospital security guards running towards her, asking when the police were going to arrive. She watched them fire a few rounds into Derek Sampson. From what she could see, the bullets barely staggered the large man as he marched towards them.

Speedy walked out from the corner, putting herself between the guards and the man that should be dead. "Derek Sampson?" She asked through her modulator after gesturing for the guards to flee.

The man ignored her, moving towards her at a brisk pace before she could dodge him, she was shoved off of her feet and skidded across the ground.

She rolled backwards, drawing a trick arrow, a taser arrow. She fired it, the arrowhead opened like a small net, the barbs attaching itself across Sampson's chest. Sampson staggered backwards, almost falling to his knees, the blue-white sparks illuminated the dark hallway.

Speedy closed the distance, only for Sampson to pick her up above his head. Speedy swiftly withdrew her sword and sliced and stabbed the hulking man in the shoulder and down his back, without reaction. She knew she was going to lose this fight, he had the strength and build to beat her with no real Achilles tendon. She managed to place a tracker on him before he tossed her down into one of the morgue rooms.

"Speedy are you alright?" Curtis asked her, "Should I call Oliver or Laurel?"

Thea shook her head and remembered that Curtis couldn't see her. "No." She groaned. "No, I will tell them when I head to base, just inform them that I know where we can find our Invulnerable Man."

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Laurel waited impatiently for the elevator to open. She had just got Curtis' text about Thea fighting Sampson, who seemed to be some sort of modern-day perversion of the Greek hero Achilles. As soon as the doors opened, her eyes went straight to Thea who had a bandage wrapped around her middle. "Speedy?" She found herself asking before she enveloped the woman she considered her baby sister.

"I'm alright, Laurel," Thea said softly. "I have a bruised rib, but my pride hurts a bit more."

"It's not your fault, Thea." Laurel said. "If Ollie or I had gone out there, it would have ended with the same outcome. We at least know that he is now some sort of metahuman or at the very least an enhanced individual like Slade Wilson and his army."

"I'm not even sure how the definition of metahuman works, do you just have to be altered in Central City by dark matter, or can it happen by other means?"

"All I know is that he needs to be stopped." Oliver said in a commanding tone, his eyes lost their edge as he looked at Thea, "You okay, Speedy?"

"I'm fine. It was like he couldn't feel pain, and the taser arrow only stopped him for a couple of seconds, and that was only because it forced his muscles to contract."

Oliver was silent for a second as he concocted an idea in his head to take down Sampson. "The stardust drug made him immune to pain. What if we stopped him from being able to move instead?" Oliver mused as he looked at the three of them.

"I'm not sure the SCPD will look fondly on you breaking the man's back."

"That would be the last resort, I was thinking more about slicing his tendons. It worked in the Iliad when Paris shot him in the Achilles in the heel. We will take him out of commission, the SCPD, and our very own DA," Oliver said, sending Laurel a warm smile. "Can interrogate him without fear of any reprisals from him."

Curtis cupped his face in his hands, "I should really speak to our friends in Central City about the terminology regarding all these super-powered people. It will make things easier when we create strategies to apprehend or stop people if they have powers if we know how to deal with them. Perhaps we should categorise the types of metahumans and enhanced individuals somehow?"

The computer beeped. "Looks like Thea's tracker is operational and our friendly Stardust has returned to the warehouse he died in. Is died the right word, if he is still alive?" Curtis wondered out loud while Thea and Oliver moved towards their motorcycles.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Once they arrived back at the warehouse, they saw Sampson and his thugs recreating the drug. Only this time, none of the thugs, nor Sampson, were wearing ghoulish looking masks. Sampson walked back and forth along the line of men and women who were creating his drugs. "We will be unstoppable. We shall know no pain, but bring it on to the others. We will retake Starling as ours, mold it into our image!"

"I think that the stardust did a number on him." Green Arrow heard his sister whisper wryly. He looked over to where Thea was hiding. It was still so bizarre seeing Thea in Laurel's suit, even if it was an altered version of it.

Green Arrow climbed up onto the rafters. He then aimed his bow at Sampson, he fired a grapple arrow into the man's shoulder and pulled him up, as Oliver jumped down onto him. Sampson pulled out the bolt and threw it away as if it were nothing but a twig.

He turned to see Black Canary using Laurel's altered collar as a form of crowd control, while keeping Sampson busy. Oliver vaulted away from the man, keeping Sampson out of arm's reach and narrowly managing to avoid the projectiles thrown in his direction.

Black Canary grabbed the grapple arrow and sliced the tendons in Sampson's legs as he did the same with two arrows shot into his wrists.

"You can't hurt me, I'm invincible!" He said manically.

"You may not be able to feel pain, it doesn't mean you don't need those tendons we just sliced. You won't be able to move or hurt anyone for a while." In the distance, Oliver heard the sirens of the SCPD as he and his sister fled the area, jumping onto their motorcycles and heading back to the base of their operations.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver adjusted his tie before he walked into Laurel's office, bypassing Chase's empty desk. He felt himself smiling as he watched Laurel chew the end of one of her pens as she highlighted the document she was working on. It was like he was taken back to when she was studying for her exams all those years ago.

Laurel seemed to notice him, and pulled the pen from her mouth, "Hey, I heard that the SCPD has Derek Sampson."

Oliver was still smiling at Laurel as he sat opposite her. "I heard that he was caught by the Green Arrow and Black Canary."

"Oh? Do you think our Emerald Archer likes fighting alongside this new Canary?"

Oliver sniggered and shook his head. "I think the Arrow likes fighting with the new Canary but nothing can replace the original Black Canary." It was certainly odd, but a fun thing to do with Laurel, speaking about themselves in an abstract way.

"Where were you today?" He asked.

"Helping The Legends. They got into some problems, but they should be fine now." Laurel answered with a small smile.

Chase probably got his signals mixed when he saw Laurel leave with one of the Legends to help them. "Do you think you can get information from Sampson?"

Laurel sobered up. "I'll do what I can to get information on Charon, though I can't give him any plea deals. We can't afford to look weak in the face of someone who has ties to the Criminal Underworld and is a violent criminal. We need to take a tough stance on crime, especially since…" She lowered her voice, "Since we are not going to be putting targets on our backs for the SCPD to shoot at."

"Smart." He watched as Laurel gave him a small shy smile. "Speaking about the SCPD, Pike wants the ACI, and I said that I would tell you about it, but you would want an audit into the police force before you commit." She then clicked her tongue, "I was strong-armed by Pike and my own ADA."

"Chase isn't so bad," Oliver said, defending his friend.

Laurel looked like she was about to argue, but stopped as she looked at the door that was now open, and there stood Commissioner Cameron. The tall white-haired man stood there with a glowering demeanor. He was never a man for pleasantries, but he respected the law, and right now the city needs that kind of leadership. "Queen, Lance." He addressed them.

"Commissioner James Cameron." Laurel greeted him pleasantly, though Oliver could tell that she wasn't happy about him barging in unannounced.

"After your discussion with Captain Pike, I have come to inform you that I have brought in a man that I trust from Bludhaven. He recently was instrumental in taking down Roland Desmond, a man who led his criminal empire there."

"I was just briefing Oliver on the ACI, now."

"Have you now? Good on you." The tall man said."Lieutenant Mackenzie Morgan has now officially transferred to work under City Hall effective immediately. His objective will be to conduct an audit into the alleged corruption of the Starling City Police department. He will then serve on the ACI."

Oliver gave him a polite smile, and stood up, and shook the man's hand. "I cannot promise that he will be the leading officer in charge of the ACI, but he will serve on it."

Cameron gave a small jerk of his head, before looking at Laurel. "Good on you. You have your witch hunt." He gave her a small snarl, "Let's hope you aren't wasting money on your inquisition, money that could be used to help our officers protect and serve our city."

"Laurel may have said it, but that was my word," Oliver said curtly. "We have to make sure everything is above board. We need to do things right."

"True enough. I appreciate your candor, Mr. Mayor." He then made his farewells to both of them before he left the office.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Laurel walked into Sampson's hospital room, along with an armed escort. Despite his severed tendons, he was still cuffed in a hospital bed. She gave him a once over before she took another step towards him. "Mr. Sampson. Do you know why you are here?"

The man didn't respond. Laurel pushed on, "Mr. Sampson, what do you know about Charon? You worked for him but seemingly turned against him once you woke up in the morgue. Care to explain?"

"I was free from my shackles. Charon couldn't hurt me anymore." The man said, not looking at her.

"I can stop him from hurting others, all I need is a name."

"I don't have a name!" Sampson shouted, forcing the cops to unholster their sidearms. He didn't seem to be the threat he once was.

Laurel signaled to them to lower their weapons. "What do you know?"

Sampson blinked repeatedly. "He's a monster. All I know is that the bastard made us wear ghoul masks like him and that he is a powerful person. He has the power and influence that could ruin our families and loved ones."

Laurel looked back at the officer before she left the room. Charon is a powerful player in Starling right now, using the situation in The Glades to line his pockets and cause anarchy and chaos in the city. They had to stop him before this Charon caused more issues.


	4. The Necessary Evil

Oliver walked through the doors of the building that once housed his nightclub, and his underground base when he first arrived home from the five years in hell. He looked to see Thea and Laurel sorting through donations of clothes for FEAST. He kept walking past and saw Chase with a white apron serving out soup and a half sandwichs. 

Oliver walked up to him, “Nice to see you doing your part instead of pushing paper, Adrian.”

Chase chuckled, “Yeah, well it’s good for the soul to fight for a cause you believe in.” He then handed another meal off to another patron, “Speaking of worthwhile causes, I was speaking to some of the younger men and women in this place. Many of them have come face to face with The Emerald Archer and his two girlfriends.” Oliver suppressed the urge to feel sick at the thought of him and his sister. “These are vulnerable people, we have a duty to them, to all of the citizens of Starling City, don’t you think?”

“We certainly do.”

Chase clapped him on the shoulder, “Then I suggest that we draw something up that delivers a hard-line approach not just to the criminals, but to the vigilantes. They are just as dangerous as some of the criminals that infect our city. They escalate the issues, someone will inevitably rise to challenge them, it’s human nature. People will be caught in the cross-hairs. I know it, and so does everyone else, even if those in your inner-circle disagree.”

Oliver pursed his lips, about how his friend was speaking about Laurel. He had done it on other occasions as well. Perhaps a part of him was hoping that Adrian would fill the hole that John had left behind in his life. Regardless, Laurel didn’t deserve that. She deserved him to be loyal towards her, and not let this man speak ill of her. “I will think about it. Oh, and Adrian. I would watch how you speak to and about her. You’re on thin ice. Just a bit of advice.” Oliver warned the man before he noticed Ted Grant moving boxes from the office upstairs, down to the basement. Oliver grabbed a couple of boxes and followed him. “Grant.”

“Queen.” Ted greeted him coolly. “I heard that you have been helping around here, it’s good to see people from the upper echelons of society standing shoulder to shoulder with those affected by the terrorist attacks.”

“Yeah, I have been helping around,” Oliver said with a slight shrug. “Where’s Church, he’s usually here when I arrive?”

Ted snorted, “Off gallivanting I suppose, I run FEAST more often than not when I’m not in the gym. I’ve also been tempted to patrol at night to keep these people safe.”

“We can handle it,” Oliver said quickly.

“I didn’t ask for your permission. You may as well be Starling’s royalty, but that doesn’t mean you can be a gatekeeper and decide who can or can’t help this city, or how they do it.” Oliver gritted his teeth, he had no idea why Laurel enjoyed this pig-headed man’s company.

Oliver then recalled how Laurel had told him that Charon was meant to be a man of influence. If he was Tobias Church, he certainly would have the influence, and the illusion of being untouchable, and clean. He was a man who was spending his time down in the dirt and mud helping the people of The Glades survive, only he wasn’t. He was using his position of power to corrupt and manipulate people into committing crimes that will line his pocket.

“What do you think of Church, despite him being an absentee NGO leader?”

Ted didn’t speak for a second, “I saw him speaking to a couple of rowdy boys. Impressionable ones that want to be seen as heroes of the people. Make a name for themselves. I managed to steer a couple of them away from him one night, asking if they would like free boxing lessons. Later on, they told me that Church is willing to give them side jobs, all hush-hush.”

Oliver nodded, “I appreciate the help.” He then walked upstairs to see Officer Doyle. “Officer, keep an eye on Tobias Church.”

“Any reason, in particular, sir?”

“Nothing that I can put my finger on, best to be safe than sorry.”

Oliver walked outside of Verdant, and past the tent city to see a couple of his council members. Oliver moved towards them, when he watched as several men wearing Ghoul masks appeared and held them at gunpoint before shoving them into an unmarked van. He couldn’t fight back, as someone may be able to connect the dots between him and the Green Arrow. As the door was shut on them, he could hear them fire a gun.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Laurel felt sick, Oliver had been taken. She turned to look at Thea who was looking just as ashen. They didn’t know who exactly had taken Oliver and some of the councilmen. Their best guess was that Charon was finally making his move. An attack on the city’s leadership usually was a maneuver that heralded the city being attacked several months later.a

Thea dragged Laurel off to the side, “We need to get Ollie, we should scour the area.”

She could still hear Damian Darhk, his voice echoing in her head.“ _ Oh, yeah. I wanted to give your father a message from me. I wanted you to tell him…” _ Laurel could still feel the arrow pierce her and could feel her insides burn as if someone had set her chest on fire. “That I'm a man of my word.” Laurel felt her chest tighten up. “I can’t, I’m sorry.”

“This is Ollie!” Thea growled, “He would be the first one searching for you if the roles were reversed.” Thea took a step towards Laurel and hugged her. “He’s my brother. He’s the last of my family. I can’t lose him, Laurel. Please.”

Her chest thumped in her chest, and her palms felt sweaty. “I’m the DA, Thea. I have operational authority in times like this.” Laurel then walked away feeling her heart clench at refusing to help Thea find her brother, to save Oliver, the love of her life. She walked over to where the SCPD had set up an operational command outpost.

The Commissioner gave her a small nod before he could speak, Laurel did, “Form the ACI.”

Both Pike, Cameron, and Walter gave her a double-take, “I thought that you were against that?”

“This is an emergency. Members of the city council, including our mayor Oliver Queen, are currently being held by Charon. Select a handful of men and women you trust completely, they will be the members to rescue the mayor and the others. If you see the Green Arrow, Black Canary, or Speedy you have orders to not engage with them, right now, we need all the help we can get. We cannot afford to lose members of our city council.”

She waited for an outburst from Commissioner Cameron about her wasting the city’s resources on an investigation into the SCPD, that she was making them run in circles for no reason. Instead, she heard him, and she couldn’t hear any vitriol in his voice.

“The hard calls are never easy, Lance. Oliver Queen’s safety is vital, It’s good that you are willing to put aside your concerns, legitimate ones, mind you, but you are willing to put them aside to help. Your father would be proud of you.” He then cleared his throat, “I assure you that the investigation into my men will continue, it’s the least I can do after your sacrifice.” Cameron added before he left to find some officers. Walter gave her a soft look before he too had to leave to make a press conference. 

That left Pike, her father’s friend rubbed her arm reassuringly, “We will get Oliver back safely, Laurel. We will throw the entire book at Charon and his people. We will get him back, you have my word.” 

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver sat there tied to the chair, with a black sack over his head. He could hear Church as he walked around them a few times, while he was assuring them that what he was doing may seem callous and personal, while in reality, he was just conducting business, and that business could be cutthroat.

“You want the Green Arrow?” Oliver asked, interrupting Church’s spiel about making politicians and the city elite useful. After all, right now, people of different ethnicities, creeds, and backgrounds were trying to help Starling recover. It didn’t matter who you were, or what you did, everyone was united under one goal. One banner. 

He hated that Church had used FEAST as a front, and used him to legitimize his actions. He had perverted the good work that FEAST had done for the people of the city. 

He heard Church’s footsteps come closer, he could so easily remove his restraints, disarm the man, and kill him. He deserved it. But that wasn’t who he was anymore, he didn’t kill, and he couldn’t afford someone to know his secret, not after Darhk. Damien Darhk had shown him the true consequences of someone knowing who he was beneath the green hood.

“Ooh, looks like the mayor wants to actually help the people instead of making grand gestures.” He ripped the hood off of Oliver. “And how is it that you know a criminal like the Green Arrow?”

“I don’t. And he would be stupid to come here. I know that the District Attorney right now will be going against what she believes in, and sending in elite police officers to find and save us. I can negotiate on your behalf, she will listen to me. All you have to do is release these people. I am more valuable than them.” Oliver said, before looking up to him. “Do we have a deal?”

“I may not have gone to an Ivy League College as you did, but what I do know is that politicians and lawyers double talk. Say one thing but mean another. This is why I am going to make the city capitulate to my demands, and from there I can heal this city without petty politics and bureaucracy getting in the way. I love this city, and I will hurt anyone that tries to stop me from saving it.”

“And what about the kids that you are using, that you are hurting? What about the drugs that you flood our streets with?”

“A necessary evil.” The man said with a wave of his hand. 

“You are an idiot,” Oliver said, shaking his head. “These are innocents you are using, hurting. That will never be a necessary evil.” Oliver said with a snarl. 

“Oh, am I?” He asked rhetorically as he shoved the hood back over Oliver’s head. “Take Mayor Handsome to somewhere quiet. Who knows, perhaps by the end of the night, not even his sister will recognize his face.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Thea was pacing up and down the command center, as Curtis tracked Oliver’s movements. She wished that she had Laurel with her, together they could save Oliver. Thea knew logically that Laurel was right, that she was needed at the command outpost, issuing orders, and keeping the city safe in the light. But this was Ollie, he was in trouble. Thea had expected her friend to put her fears after Darhk to the side if only to save him.

“Have you found Ollie yet?”

Curtis frowned, “Not since the last time you asked me five minutes ago. I didn’t think Laurel would have sanctioned the ACI. I thought she was against the initiative because it could backfire on us?” He siad pointing at one of the monitors that had a live stream of the new on mute. 

“A necessary evil, “Thea said, defending Laurel. “The government needs to take action, and we need all hands on deck to ensure Oliver is alive. When the city went without the Green Arrow for months the city went to hell, and now Laurel hasn’t been the Black Canary for a while, it’s doing the same thing. I think the city needs the  _ real  _ Black Canary just as much as it needs the Green Arrow.”

The Black Canary and the Green Arrow were now the lifeblood of Star City. If one or both of them were out of the picture, the city would eventually decline. Thea just hoped that they could convince Laurel to forgo her apprehensions of being the Black Canary and return to fight alongside them. Even though Thea was wearing her suit, she was only slowing down the rate the city would decline. Laurel had something about her that made her the Black Canary, something that Thea didn’t posssess. 

“I’m sure she will come around.” Thea could hear the doubt in his voice. Curtis didn’t know Laurel as she did. Not like Ollie knows her. He had faith that Laurel needed a break and would don her sable jacket once again. That it was a matter of when, not if. 

The computer beeped, so Thea raised her red hood over her head and moved towards the garage. “A warehouse on Smith and Kanigher. “ Curtis called out to her as she swung her leg over her bike. 

“Thanks, Curtis,” Thea said as she left the bunker. Eventually, Speedy arrived at the Warehouse and parked her bike a couple of streets away.

She snuck around the warehouse, scouting how many of Church’s thugs were around before she located her brother. She found him freeing himself from his restraints and was ready to attack the man. His nose was bloody, and he had a bruise developing on his upper left cheek.

Thea fired an arrow in the man’s shoulder before Oliver could react. “Speedy?” Oliver asked. Thea nodded, “We need to go so the  _ other  _ guy can come back. Church has explosives around the whole building.”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver returned to the base, only to be immediately hugged by Laurel. I’m glad that you are safe.” Oliver wrapped his hands around her, “I don’t blame you for not coming.” He whispered and felt Laurel’s shoulder’s sag In relief. “I believe you did all you could as Laurel, and not  _ her.” _

“Thank you.” She then took a step back, “I have created the ACI, Ollie. They will be heading towards the warehouse on your command.”

Oliver’s brows furrowed. “I thought we were holding back until we had the audit?”

“I had to do something, an officer killed, and members of the city council and you were taken, it doesn’t usually bode well in the past. Even with your training, all it would take is a bullet or a knife and you would be gone.” He could see the tears in her eyes. “ I had to take decisive action, even if I am not entirely comfortable with it.”

Oliver nodded, it made sense to take drastic measures. “Alright, let’s do a press conference.” He wrapped his arms around Laurel and held her close. “I’m sorry that you had to endure that. We will deal with any potential fallout from the ACI being prematurely created together. 

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

After explaining to Pike and Commissioner Cameron that he had been saved by Speedy and Black Canary due to him being isolated from the others. Oliver explained how they had explosives and tripwires around the warehouse.

Oliver then moved to the stage, “ The District Attorney, Dinah Laurel Lance, has created under her emergency powers the Anti-Crime Initiative. Officers who are highly trained and have a stellar record answer to the District Attorney’s office. This Initiative and DA Lance’s plans have my seal of approval. Tobias Church, my captor, the man is known as Charon, and he must be brought to justice.”

Oliver stepped aside, and he watched proudly as Laurel issued an arrest warrant for Church. She may not have been able to force herself into her suit, and fight as the Black Canary, but she was able to put aside her reservations about the SCPD, and the ACI, to keep the city safe, and to keep the administration from looking powerless to stop organized crime, and players like Tobias Church.

Before Oliver left to go get his ‘work’ clothes, he asked Laurel to maintain her authority over the rescue operation and to say that he had been asked to go home to recover from the incident. Laurel promised that she would give him a ten-minute head-start before she called in the cavalry.

Green Arrow and Speedy entered through the way that she had earlier, and took out several guards, “Speedy, take out the bomb.” He gestured with his head, as he moved towards where Oliver had last seen Church. It was at that moment, he heard the ACI move in shooting anyone that threatened them or the hostages.

Oliver fired his arrows taking out more thugs, and disarming the kill cordon surrounding the hostages. Oliver directed them towards the ACI before he grabbed one of the thugs, and withdrew an arrow, and stabbed it into the man’s hand. “Where is Tobias Church?”

“He disappeared. He fled with some of his men when Oliver Queen went missing. We were told to hold the police off for as long as we can so that he could leave, he promised that he would help us when he regrouped.

“Church is a liar and a manipulator.”

“No, he helped me to provide food on my table.”

“Through committing crimes.” Oliver growled, “There are other ways, initiative to help people find work, to help people.” Oliver growled again, before leaving the area, with Thea not that far behind him.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Laurel walked through Verdant to see people looking like they had nowhere to go, Verdant, FEAST  was a refuge for many that had lost their homes. She sighed, as she watched a couple of kids playing with a football through the various pathways between the tents. Eventually, she entered to see Ted standing there. “Ted.” She greeted him.

“Laurel, what brings you down here? Help us pack up?”

“No, actually. I have come to give you this,” She handed him a cheque of over ten grand. “The Bowen family and Starling National Bank have donated this to FEAST, they recognize that the city needs FEAST, even if it was once a front for Tobias Church. FEAST has already shown its potential to help these vulnerable people. The only request was that it is led by someone that can be trusted. Your name was the first on the list.”

“You want me to lead FEAST?” Ted snorted, “And what did Mr. Mayor say?”

“You convinced him that you were the right person. You know these people, you know their needs, you have been helping them all your life. You practically were already leading FEAST legitimately when Church had to conduct his usual business.”

“I don’t know what to say…”

“Say yes.” Laurel said with a wide grin, “Say yes, and STAR Labs are offering to donate their warehouse in Star City for the cause, it has been empty since The Siege.”

It was Walter’s idea to rally behind FEAST with backers. Oliver and Walter had managed to coax the Bowens and the bank to help, while she and Thea spoke to Barry about allowing them to use STAR Lab’s warehouse to provide more room for FEAST. 

“Alright,” Ted said, and shook her hand. “You really know how to twist my arm, Laurel.”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Lieutenant Conahan had just finished interrogating several of the members of Church’s crew. Many of them were surprised that Church had left them to the wolves. They were promised a better city, one that was lead by a man that knew what it felt like to be desperate, to know the feeling of having an empty belly. He could understand their resentment. He just hoped that Oliver Queen would be able to repair the damage that had been befalling Star CIty. 

His father who had lived on the outskirts of The Glades and The Triangle, told him that Oliver had been a better mayor than they had had in years. It made Sam Conahan feel even more proud that he had been selected to lead the ACI. That he was the right arm of Oliver Queen, that he was doing something good, something that would help the city rise from the ashes. 

Conahan looked up when he heard the sound of footsteps above him. He saw a figure that looked just like the Emerald Archer, a man who had helped save the council members with Speedy. “Green Arrow?”

Conahan couldn’t help but smile. Perhaps he could help the hero of Star City keep the city safe? He could help Oliver in the light, and where the police feel short, he could help The Green Arrow, it would be a win-win scenario. God knew that they needed all the help they could get. Even if Mayor Queen and The District Attorney wouldn’t be pleased that one of their ACI members, the leader of the ACI no less, was willing to help vigilantes.    
  
“No.” The sinister voice replied, before throwing something into his neck. He stumbled back clutching onto his neck, feeling his warm blood coat his hands. “I’m not the Green Arrow, I’m Prometheus.” The almost demonic voice was the last thing that Lieutenant Conahan, the Operations leader of the ACI had heard before he felt cold, and the world around him became black.


	5. The Black Bird Rises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I decided to do a double post this week since this chapter, and the one that follows the same arc of the story. I know a fair few of you have been waiting for a certain Birdie to take flight...

Prometheus waited for Tobias Church to exit the nightclub where he was currently hiding under the alias of Tyreese Williams. The man was becoming more trouble for him than it was worth. He was a pawn to get people to voice discontentment with the Queen government, as well as to lay out the foundations for the rest of his plans to destroy Oliver Queen.

Once the man sauntered out of the nightclub with a couple of his goons, Prometheus fired an arrow into their necks, severing their carotid arteries. Church was amused by the attack. "I knew you and your little sidekick would hunt me down, that you would come and try to convince me to turn straight, or are you going to kill me as you did with Damien Darhk?"

Prometheus jumped from his platform and kicked Church in the face before unsheathing his blade and resting it against his neck. "You made a move against Oliver Queen and The Green Arrow the other night, if either of them were killed, you would be following them to the grave."

Prometheus slammed Church against the hard concrete, "You will not make any more attempts on The Green Arrow and his ilk, nor Oliver Queen and those he associates with. They are mine to play with. If you step on my toes again…" Prometheus pulled the blade across Church's cheek, hearing him cry out in pain. "This is but a hint of what is installed for you.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver was sitting on his sofa with Laurel, having a quiet night watching some movies while eating pizza. Following Lieutenant Conahan’s murder committed by The Throwing Star Killer. Oliver had issued for a larger police presence in the city. He had been questioned if his government would remain as stable as it had been in the past few months. Losing the leader of the ACI had caused his popularity to take a large hit. If he can't guarantee the safety of his own task force, how can he hope to protect Starling?

Oliver shook his head of the past few days. This was the first time in a long time that he had been able to just relax and be Ollie, not Oliver Queen the Mayor, nor The Green Arrow. Politics and the city could take a break from his mind for the night. Thea had pointed out that they all needed a break. Curtis decided to spend the weekend with his husband, Paul, while Thea headed out to Hub City to visit Roy.

He couldn't help but smile, as Laurel reclined against the sofa, they had been working hard to keep the city safe. When they weren't training, they were working, and whatever free time they had left was spent helping Ted Grant with FEAST. Thea was right they deserved a break, and even though his and Laurel's definition of a relaxing weekend was spending it relaxing at home, and sparing in the bunker, it felt liberating.

Oliver placed it on his plate holding his pizza slices on the table when he heard someone knock on his door. He groaned in an irritated manner, causing Laurel to give him an amused smile before he stood up. Laurel turned the volume down on the television as Oliver opened the door to see Lyla. "Lyla?" Oliver asked, not expecting her. "Did you want to come in, we have some pizza to share?"

Lyla shook her head, and looked at Laurel, "Hi, Laurel. I didn't realize that you would be here." She then turned to Oliver, looking uncharacteristically nervous. "Is there somewhere where we can speak privately?"

Oliver shook his head, "Anything you say to me, you can say in front of Laurel."

"Alright." Lyla closed the door as she moved towards the couches. "What I am about to ask you to do is very illegal and dangerous, but I have no one else to turn to. Johnny is in prison for a crime he didn't commit. And I want you to break him out."

"Maybe we don't need to break him out." Laurel said, "What if I defend him in court?"

Laurel was already diving into ways of saving John from a life in prison, and he loved her for that. He, on the other hand, was trying to imagine John in prison, and why he hadn't known about it.

Lyla shook her head, "Johnny found himself caught in some sort of corruption. Whoever has it out for him will ensure that he is found guilty. No, I need my husband home, my son needs his father." She looked at Oliver, "Will you be willing to break him out, and talk sense into him? I can only protect him if he isn't in prison... He doesn't deserve to be behind bars."

Oliver turned from Lyla to look to see what Laurel was thinking. She nodded, thinking that it was the only way to protect their friend from falsely imprisoned. "Alright." He then looked at Laurel, "You know that if I go it will mean that you will be the only one from the team to protect the city, are you alright too…?" He left the question to linger, he didn't want to leave Laurel to force her to put on her suit before she was ready.

Laurel bit her lip, before nodding. "Diggle is our friend, he would do the same if the roles were reversed." She exhaled, "I can do this." She said. More to herself than to him or Lyla.

"I appreciate what you two are willing to do for Johnny," Lyla said gratefully before she left the room.

Oliver moved towards Laurel and wrapped his arms around her. "You don't have to be  _ her,  _ I can call Barry and have him bring Thea home?"

Laurel shook her head, "No. No, Thea deserves to be happy, and spending time with Roy does that. I just have to close my eyes and jump. I can't let what happened at Iron Heights and to my dad define my actions. I'm The Black Canary, no one can take that away from me."

She sounded so confident to his ears, and yet he felt compelled to ask."If you are sure?" Oliver asked once more before Laurel started to clean up. "You don't have to…" He said as he helped her. "I can clean up when I come home."

"I made some of the mess, I will clean it up." She said taking the last mushroom and olive pizza slice before tossing the cardboard box into the bin.

"Be careful."

Laurel smiled, and cupped his jaw with her hand, "You too. I'll see you when you come back."

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Laurel decided that she would help Ted with FEAST for a couple of hours before she went to The Bunker to train. She walked in to see a bald African American man with a beard standing in front of her, "D.A. Lance, right?"

Laurel cocked her head, "I am, who's asking?"

The man smiled and held out his hand to shake hers, which she did. "Lieutenant Mackenzie Morgan, but call me Mack. I'm the guy that vetted your ACI." Even if it was after the fact. "And is now the acting Operations Chief after one of our own was killed by the Throwing Star Killer. I assure you, that we will find and bring the Throwing Star Killer to justice for killing Lieutenant Conahan. No one kills one of us and is allowed to escape justice."

"I appreciate that," Laurel said before she felt her phone buzz and saw an SOS message. Paul had pressed his panic button. She excused herself from Mack Morgan and left to head to the bunker to put on her suit, to help Paul and Curtis. The whole time her heart was thumping in her chest.

Before she made it to her car, Chase stopped her. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"

"Family business."

"Alright then," She opened her car door but stopped as she heard Chase's voice, he had lowered it as he came next to her. "I removed the bottle of vodka from your office, you have done so much for the city, that I disposed of it before someone else noticed it. The last thing you need is an inquisition.

"That wasn't mine."

" I didn't say it was Laurel. I… Oliver gave me a good dressing down, and I realized that I have been too overzealous with my beliefs, and have been way too belligerent where you are concerned. You are my boss and leader. I removed it because, despite our disagreements, you are indispensable. You are way too important to the city.”

Laurel doubted his sincerity, though it did sound like something that Ollie may have done, so she nodded. "I appreciate it, Adrian. It was probably a gift or something with no malice intended. In saying that, it was probably best that you got rid of it regardless. Thank you."

Laurel drove away and would have to look into the alcohol that was allegedly put in her office, despite it being widely known that she doesn't drink. A small part of her suspected Chase was involved or had a scheme to force her out. It also wasn't the first time Laurel had regretted keeping Chase, a man who was given the job as the A.D.A. by Ruve Darhk. She couldn't fire him either. Not without causing controversy, nevermind trying to find someone who would want to take his post. Even worse was the fact that Ollie and he were friends, she didn't want to cause a rift that happened after she had accused Blood.

Laurel shook her head to clear her thoughts. She needed to help Curtis and Paul. They were her priority, not some bottle of alcohol she had never touched, let alone seen."

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Diggle frowned as he was being escorted to his cell by armed soldiers when the alarm rang. This was his life now, no longer a free man. He was no longer a vigilante. No longer a soldier. He was a prisoner for a crime that he did not commit. As soon as he was deployed, he knew that he had made a mistake. He had thought that if he could put some distance between him and the team, especially Laurel and the Queens, he would be able to look them in the eyes.

After all, it was his fault that Darhk had been able to get the last piece of the idol. If he hadn't trusted Andy and instead trusted the man that had been his brother in all but name, Laurel wouldn't have been on death's doorstep.

He had relived that moment in Iron Heights, all the way up to driving Oliver and Laurel to the hospital in his mind countless times. He had seen how pale Laurel was, how much blood she had lost, how much she had been losing. Her shallow breaths. Hearing Oliver's whispered promises that she was going to be alright, that he loved her. It hadn't clicked at that moment, and not for many months later, not until he was imprisoned, and had nothing but time to think.

Oliver was never in love with Felicity, he may have loved the idea of her though. Laurel was someone very different to him. They fought and argued until they were blue in the face, but at the end of the day, they knew that they cared for each other.

Oliver wasn't as terrified for Felicity as he was for Laurel that night. When Felicity was shot, Oliver was scared, that was for sure, but his reaction was to get revenge, not to sit by her bed the entire night. Oliver's concern that night wasn't for vengeance or some sort of blood debt, it was all about Laurel.

He turned in his cell to watch the soldier close the barred gate behind him. He watched the guard leave, and now he was truly alone. Alone with his regrets, and memories.

A small thump behind him caused Diggle to turn around on his heels. "Hey, John. What's new with you?" The masked man asked, sounding too much like Oliver to be anyone else.

Diggle shook his head. Oliver was being incredibly stupid. No matter how much John wanted to be in the world free to hold his wife and son. He knew he deserved this form of atonement for what happened to Laurel. "I told Lyla, I didn't want this!"

"You can tell your wife what you want later, but right now you and I are on the clock."

"Are you insane? I said no!" Diggle said trying to keep his voice low in an attempt not to attract the guards.

Oliver stood firm, as he always did when he believed that he was doing the right thing. It was the same pig-headedness that Laurel and Thea possessed. That Quentin Lance possessed. What was it with the Lance and Queen families that they seemed to have stubbornness hard-coded into their DNA?

"Well, you better start helping me to help you escape because if you don't the MPs will be making their rounds again very soon. They are expecting only John Diggle in this cage, not Oliver Queen accompanying him."

"You are being so stubborn that you can't see straight, Oliver! You plan to blackmail me so that I will leave with you? You do know that if I don't agree you will be arrested, and put in a cell next to mine? What about Thea, William, or Laurel?"

"Thea knows that I will do anything to keep the people I love safe. William will understand that when he is older. Laurel was there when Lyla asked for my help, she didn't oppose your wife's plan."

Diggle raked his nails through his short hair. "I'm in prison because I killed my brother because of what happened to Laurel."

"She doesn't blame you. What she will blame you for however is letting me be arrested in here with you."

"It sounds like you two are pretty tight." Especially if Lyla had found Oliver and Laurel together without Curtis or Thea.

"We are closer to each other than we have been in a long time," Oliver said with a small smile gracing his face, as he pulled something out of the container that he arrived with. He sprayed something that seemed to eat through the ground as if it were an acid. Oliver then smiled at John before he descended into the sewers below.

Diggle sighed, the smug bastard knew that he had left him with no other options but to follow. It would look like he was trying to escape, so he might as well follow.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Black Canary climbed off of her bike and made her way into Curtis and Paul's apartment via the fire escape to see men with machetes threatening Paul. She broke through the window using her sonic collar, disorientating the man closest to Paul.

She rolled in, kicking another man in the shins before using her baton to disarm the man with a machete.

A handful of machete-wielding men surrounded her as she pushed Paul into his bedroom to prevent him from being injured. She ducked under one of the blades before grabbing another's wrist and using his weapon to defend her before kicking one in the stomach, sending him backwards and into the coffee table. She reared her elbow back to knock the man behind her, before finally throwing her baton at the man who was attempting to flee out of the broken door.

She felt slightly guilty at feeling so liberated, that she was doing what she loved, helping people as The Black Canary. She shouldn't be focusing on herself, Curtis and Paul needed her.

Laurel grabbed her zip ties to restrain the intruders, before checking on Paul. She walked in to see the man cowering beside his bed with a pistol pointing at her. "Don't move!" He commanded.

Laurel clipped her baton to her waist before raising her hands and enabling her modulator. "I'm not here to harm you." She said, wincing at the dark tone her modulator made to her voice, she really needed to change it. "You pressed the panic button that your husband gave you. I came when you needed me."

Paul shook his head, lowering his gun. "They have Curtis. The man wanted to send me to the hospital to send the Green Arrow a message. Church knows that Curtis works with the Green Arrow."

"How do they know that Curtis workes for us?"

"Because Curtis and I were arguing about him working for vigilantes. I know you all are trying to help the city, but I don't know any of you, all I know is that my husband is working for people that could hurt us without knowing who you are."

Trust is definitely something that their team needed to work on, especially for someone like Curtis who had a life outside of their small group. And yet, Paul still put his faith in them by pressing the panic button Curtis had installed on his husband's phone.

"I'll find your husband, call the police, and they will look after your attackers."

"Please." The man pleaded with tears in his eyes. "Bring my husband back to me. Please."

"I will do my best, Curtis is a dear friend to me."

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Curtis' entire body ached. It had been hours since he had that stupid fight with his husband. It wasn't that he didn't trust Paul with their identities. He did, it just wasn't his place to tell their secrets. He was the new kid on the block, he couldn't violate their trust or take it for granted. And yet, here he was, his nose broken, a couple of teeth missing, and likely a few broken ribs.

"I must admit, you have lasted a lot longer than I was anticipating." Church's deep voice broke the silence. "And yet, you now have intimate knowledge of how far I am willing to get the information I desire. And soon, that pesky husband of yours will be joining us, if my boys haven't taken a piece of him as a souvenir. They have a fondness for machetes, see?"

Curtis let out a sad laugh, it was better then him sobbing in front of this bastard. "What? Just like you have your affinity for brass knuckles?"

Church gave him a sinister smile, "Exactly. Tell me what I want to know about the Green Arrow, and we can all be done for the night. You can return to your loving husband, and I can make our city a better place. You want that don't you?"

Curtis didn't answer him, instead, he asked a different question. He owed it to Oliver and the others to get some information on Church. He had to show them that they didn't make the wrong decision to replace someone as intelligent and savvy as Felicity with him. "How does filling the streets with drugs accomplish that?" He asked before he coughed, each time he expelled the air from his lungs, he felt his ribs set ablaze.

"A feisty one?" Tobias Church slammed his fist into Curtis' side. "You, The Mayor, The District Attorney, and that damn Good Samaritan of a gym owner, you all have such a narrow mind. You can't see the big picture." He said as if he were preaching a sermon. "Drugs and committing crimes are a means to an end. The city needs money, so I take it and redistribute it. Drugs make money. Money means power. Power to save our city. There will be no poverty, and everyone will do their part, or they will leave, or die for their mutiny. Just as I will end that bastard that has been lurking around in the shadows looking like your friend."

Church moved around Curtis, he couldn't see his captor, but he could hear his footsteps echo across the empty room. "The Romans had a position called a dictator. And while you may think tyrants from the twentieth century, the word has been corrupted. Perverted by the likes of; Mao, Stalin, Hitler, and Pol Pot. A dictator was someone who was appointed to be the leader during the tough times, during wartime. A man that didn't have to bend to the will of the state to get his job done. And that, my friend, is what I intend on doing. To be a leader of the city to prevent it from wasting away. To fight the war against Star City that has been occurring for the last decade."

"We have a leader. Oliver Queen. He’s been helping the city."

Church laughed and mockingly pushed Curtis’ head. "Oliver is a weak-minded fool. He has charisma. But he isn't a leader. He's too busy worrying about the people that he doesn't see the big picture. But we are going on a tangent…"

Church walked in front of him and dragged his finger over a bruise, forcing a hiss from Curtis. "If you can barely handle the pain, what do you think your husband will be like? Will you be able to see him be hurt because you are too stubborn?" His voice became louder, "Who is The Green Arrow?" Church pulled out a knife and sliced it across Curtis' shoulder.

His entire shoulder felt like it was on fire. He felt another large slash on his forearm and thigh.

"Oliver Queen," Curtis mumbled between sobs. He wasn't like Oliver, Laurel, or Thea. He couldn't handle the pain. He wasn't as strong as they were. "Oliver Queen is the Green Arrow."

Church dropped two gold coins at Curtis' feet. "For the ferryman." Tobias Church then knelt beside him. “You should have known that this life catches up to you sooner or later, and unfortunately for you, your time is up. You should have known the risks that come with opposing the criminal world."

Curtis sobbed as he was heaved from his hard plastic chair and dumped into the back of a van. As they drove him to what was going to be his death, the car was stopped, and Curtis could hear a loud piercing screech. That didn't make sense though. It should have been Oliver saving him, Thea was out of town. That meant that Laurel had taken back her mantle. The Black Canary had risen again. She had returned to being the heroine she was born to be. The Black Canary had risen like a phoenix from the ashes. 

He could hear the sound of people being hit, and the sound of bodies hitting the curb and the side of the van. The next thing he knew, Laurel, wearing her black suit, was jumping in the car. "You alright?"

"I didn't think anyone would come for me." He sobbed as Laurel helped him up, cut off his restraints, and helped him to her bike. "Can you ride?" She asked. Curtis nodded and wrapped his arms around her as she sped off towards his home. He jumped off her bike and headed up to his apartment, and jumped into Paul's embrace.

"I love you," Curtis whispered to him, from the broken window he could see Laurel give him a nod before she disappeared into the night. It was then that he remembered he hadn't told Laurel about Church knowing who Oliver was. That he had betrayed him.

"I need to go," Curtis said.

"What? No, you need to go to the hospital."

"This is more important," Curtis said, stumbling out of the apartment as he heard Paul cursing the vigilantes. He blamed them for their current predicament. He walked outside and saw Laurel as she was about to speed off. "Canary?" He called out to her. He moved towards his friend, held her in a hug, and whispered. "I had to tell him that Oliver is The Green Arrow."

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver was in the helicopter with John, they had just narrowly escaped. Lyla had already planned to have Diggle officially arrested by ARGUS, before releasing him later. He knew that Lyla hoped that her husband would join ARGUS with her. Now, more than ever, especially with the rise of vigilantes and heroes. The government believed it needed to keep track of them and any potential threats. Diggle was someone he could trust with his life, someone that Barry and Sara also knew. John Diggle was the best candidate to be the liaison officer between ARGUS and the other teams.

"You know what I have been thinking?" Diggle mused as he looked out at the dark sky. "I was pushing you and Felicity together because I thought that she was good for you."

"We don't need to speak about Felicity,” Oliver said. “She left and there were no hard feelings."

"We do." His brother insisted. "I think I was so bitter about the Deadshot thing that I didn't see Laurel for who she was, or what she meant to you. She is the love of your life, Oliver. Even if you don't see it. Felicity may have worked in the short term, but Laurel has always been there for you since day one."

Oliver couldn’t help but smile, Laurel had always been there for him, for his family even when he hadn't been there for her. "I do love her John, but right now, I'm just happy with being her friend." Not that he wouldn’t enjoy being more with her. 

"How has she been since…"

"She's been good. Stubborn even. She has been training so much lately, and she volunteered to look after the city of something that went wrong."

Diggle smirked, looking back at his friend. "So you and Laurel have been spending a lot of time together, when it's not about work, or protecting the city?"

Oliver hesitated, much to John's amusement. Oliver had been spending all of his free time with Laurel. It was like they were dating again. They shared their fears, their hopes, their dreams. Why didn't he notice that he and Laurel had been dating in all but name? It was as if they just fitted together so naturally that he hadn’t questioned it. 

Laurel deserved to have things made official. She didn't deserve to be lead on.

"All I care about is that you are happy, and I haven't seen you look this happy and fulfilled for a long time. Laurel is at the center of it."

They eventually landed. Lyla thanked him before she and a few agents took Diggle into a black car and watched the vehicle speed off into the dark. Oliver smirked before he stopped by at the bunker, knowing that Laurel would likely be training. Only when he entered the bunker through the garage.

When he saw Laurel, and what he was about to say, how he wanted to make things official with her, died on his lips when he saw that she looked worried, she looked scared.

"Laurel, what happened?"

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I borrowed Church's alias from The Walking Dead since the actor played Tyreese Williams. I thought it would be a nice Easter Egg for anyone who watched the show.


	6. A Slippery Slope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, and here is Chapter 6. This is the end of one arc and the beginning of another. I hope you guys like it!

His clenched fists pressed into the mahogany table. His eyes darted around the small office. “It’s time to make a move against The Queen Government, and the vigilantes of Star City. It’s time to take the city into the hands of the people. Not the elite. Not the Government. ANd certainly not the police! It belongs to the average Joe!” It belonged to him. 

“What do you suggest, Boss?”

“Gather men you trust with your lives and bring them here by sundown. “ He wasn’t going to tell them where or who they were targeting not yet. Too much could go wrong, and he wasn’t going to allow his plans to be leaked to Oliver Queen or the Black Canary’s ears. After their heads were displayed over City Hall, he would then marshal his forces against Prometheus.

Church’s fingers danced over the scar on his cheek. He would have his revenge. 

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver walked down the corridors of the hospital until he and Laurel found Curtis’ room. He knocked on the door, and could just make out their friend granting them entry. As the pair of them entered the room, the first thing he noticed was the tension that filled the room, before Paul excused himself, and left the room.

“He’s upset that I won’t tell him who the Green Arrow and the Black Canary are,” Curtis said, looking between them, then forlornly back at the door where Paul had left. 

Oliver could only feel responsible for Curtis being hospitalized due to his torture at the hands of Tobias Church. It was his fault.

Curtis then looked at Oliver, “I gave up your secret.” Curtis half sobbed. “I won’t betray your trust again.”

Oliver shook his head and placed his hand on Curtis’ shoulder. “No. No. I don’t blame you, I wouldn’t blame anyone that said anything under the kind of pain that you endured.” Oliver swallowed, looking from Laurel and back at their friend. “I think you should tell Paul. Tell him everything.” He could remember the look of irritation between Laurel, Tommy, and Thea when he would lie to their faces about what he was doing. Oliver couldn’t let their newest team member follow in his footsteps. “You need to tell him the truth and tell him who we are. The thing about lying to our loved ones is that it will fester until they don’t recognize you anymore.”

He looked back at Laurel, her eyes, he could see that she understood why he lied, even if she didn’t necessarily agree with his reasons. It also looked as if she wanted to say something to him, but decided against it. 

Laurel smiled at their friend, “You can tell him who we are. When you are on your feet we should probably show him the base so that he can have a piece of mind.”

“Thank you.” He then looked at Oliver, “As I said, I’m sorry, Oliver.”

“You don’t need to apologize, it wasn’t your fault. Tobias Church is the one who is to blame.” The guilt only rested on his shoulders. Oliver hoped that Curtis wouldn’t try to hold someone’s guilt.

Together, he and Laurel walked out of the hospital and made their way to the bunker, where he saw Thea at the computers. “I think I found him,” Thea said, spinning the seat around to face them. 

“You have Church?” Oliver asked, moving to the side of the bunker to grab two steel briefcases with the STAR Labs logo. As he turned back, he saw Laurel and Thea moving towards their suits. Diggle was right, Laurel was the most important person in his life. It felt like things were finally looking up for him. Laurel was back on the team as the Black Canary. Thea was happy and healthy, and their city would soon be on the mend now that they had Tobias Church in their sights.

“You won’t need those suits.” He said with a small smile. “After you had both conspired to get me my new suit last year, I thought I would return the favor. He then handed their respective boxes to either woman. Thea’s eyes bulged open as she saw the black suit with hints of dark red around it. It looked sort of like the inverse of her original suit. 

“Thank you, Ollie.”

Oliver smiled, he had ensured that just like his suit, the quiver strap had been reinforced just like the rest of the suit to prevent someone from damaging it to remove their quivers, just as Nyssa has done in the past.

He then watched as Thea raced to the change-rooms to try on her new suit while he looked at Laurel. She pulled out her new suit that was sable black contrasted with the yellow-gold lining and stripes around her ribs. “It’s beautiful, Ollie.”

“Just like you, Pretty Bird.” He said, causing Laurel’s eyes to blink towards him. “It’s… Uh, lined with a dwarf-star alloy mesh around your vital organs and arteries, just as you had my suit made of the same.”

Laurel’s eyes danced in the light, as he found himself holding her in his embrace, cradling her head as his lips met hers. Laurel froze for a brief second before she returned the kiss. It felt right, his stomach felt funny. It felt perfect. Real. It wasn’t until they heard Thea clearing her throat that he pulled away. “I’ll get changed then you can,” Oliver said, as he walked away.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Mack Morgan adjusted his jacket as he entered the hospital room of Curtis Holt. The man had been assaulted by Tobias Church. Church was supposedly a Good Samaritan in these parts. Though the same could be said of the vigilantes that are running rampant in the area and in Central City.

He didn’t doubt that their intentions were noble, but they only brought destruction and ruin to the city. They only had to look as far as Star City for an example. How many of these criminals that called this city their home would have accepted their prison time, and had the potential to change if the vigilantes hadn’t caused the cycle of violence to become worse? 

What was strange was that Tobias Church who was once the leader of FEAST, had tortured Curtis Holt. A virtual nobody. Holt was a former Olympian and an intelligent man, but that hardly seemed like a reason to attack him. Perhaps it was his friends? Oliver Queen, Dinah Laurel Lance, and Thea Queen? Apparently, the city’s elite knew how to bounce back into becoming central figures in the city. 

Speaking of the Queens and the Lances, The Mayor and the District Attorney had visited him, which was interesting, but likely didn’t mean much. He knocked on the door, before entering. “Mr. Holt, I would like to ask you a few questions, if you don’t mind?”

Curtis, with the help of his husband, sat up in his bed. “I’ll help in any way I can, officer?”

“Lieutenant Morgan. And thank you for your time, what do you remember about your attack? Where were you?”

Curtis let out a loud exhale. “Church attacked me, and tortured me, he thought I had something to do with The Green Arrow.” the man rasped. 

“Do you know who the Green Arrow is? Or his female accomplices?” Morgan asked, his eyes darting between the two spouses. Holt’s husband was looking very nervous, his leg was tapping rapidly.

“I don’t know who any of the vigilantes are. “

“And you, sir?”

Paul shook his head and held Curtis’s hand. “I don’t know any vigilantes, Lieutenant.”

Morgan clicked his tongue as he looked between the men. “You told us the Black Canary saved you, Paul. How did she know where you were, and what was happening?”

Curtis groaned slightly, “She saves people. She’s a hero. She led the defense of The Glades against Daniel Brickwell. She also protected us during The Outbreak and Genesis.”

“Alright. Last question, what is your relationship with Oliver Queen and Dinah Laurel Lance?”

“They are my friends,” Holt said a bit too quickly. 

Morgan took another look at them. There was more to the story than either man was willing to speak about. All he had to do was keep pulling the strings before he had the entire picture and could clean up the city. For right now, he had three things to deal with: Interviewing SCPD officers with the help of the ACI, investigating the whereabouts of Charon, and who killed Conahan. One step at a time.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Black Canary watched from her perch. She was waiting just outside the nightclub that Tobias Church owned under an alias. Thea had managed to find the van that had held Curtis with the help of Curtis’ computer program. She watched as people moved in and out of the club. She could just make out Speedy at the other end of the Parking lot, as Green Arrow was somewhere on the other side of the building.

_ “On my mark,”  _ Oliver said through his comms. A few seconds later,  _ “Go!” _

__ Black Canary jumped down from her perch and ran towards the front door. She ducked under one man before using her club to hit the side of his knee before kicking him in the head. She then kneed the other bouncer in the stomach, grabbed his pistol from its holster, and threw it across the parking lot. She navigated through the groups of men and women fleeing the nightclub before she saw Green Arrow and Speedy making their way up to Church’s office. All three of them entered the office, to see Church there with his brass knuckles.

“I have to say, I didn’t expect you to make your move so early.” He charged at Speedy, while a few of his men engaged with her and Oliver. All of a sudden they heard glass shatter, and they saw Churchshoving himself and Thea out the window. 

‘Go save her.” Laurel commanded as she used her sonic collar to remove the large men, before knocking them out. She panted as she jumped from the office window to see Church. “I know your secret Queen. And I will be singing pretty songs for the SCPD. Perhaps you will be sharing a cell with me?”

Oliver punched him in the face, knocking him out, as they heard the sound of police sirens. They looked at Thea who was favoring one leg. Laurel Half carried her out on their bikes before they took off into the night.

As she rode back with Thea on the back of her bike, she heard her sister in all but name finally speak, in an almost teasing way, that made Laurel want to groan. “So, you and Ollie?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about.” Laurel deflected, knowing it would be in vain.

“You and my brother kissed, and you are acting as if nothing happened.”

Laurel shook her head, focusing on the road. “We are just friends, what happened was an accident. He didn’t mean it. It’s best that we forget it happened.” No matter how much she meant it. She didn’t want to risk their friendship over a lapse of judgment.

“You two have practically been dating since you got out of the hospital last year. The secret glances. The unofficial date nights and lunches. I didn’t want to mention anything, just in case, I was imagining things. ” When Laurel didn’t respond, Thea stopped teasing her, and merely said that she just hoped that she and Ollie were happy.

Laurel was forced to think about what her friend had said, for the first time in a long time she had been happy, and her happiness didn’t just stem from her career or vigilantism. It was something different, and it came being with Ollie. Was Thea right? Had they been dating for this long without either of them officially recognizing it? It felt so natural as if they were just two pieces of a puzzle naturally coming together.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

He was scared shitless. Why did the SCPD have to use a police convoy instead of flying him to Iron Heights? It was a mistake that he was going to pay for it. It was a gambit, but he if he had managed to kill The Green Arrow, or even Speedy perhaps that may have made him look powerful enough that this new archer wouldn’t trifle with him.

He looked out the windows, only for the cop to scoff, and mock him about no one coming to save him. And the sad thing was, he was right. No one could save him from that masked lunatic. All he wanted to do was rebuild Star City from the ashes, even if that meant he had to crack a few eggs to do it.

He would be the monster that scared the other monsters, a force for good, even if he had done illegal things. All for the greater good. And now the real monster was going to kill him. All Tobias had to bargain for his life, a bargain for clemency was to offer up just who the Green Arrow was.

All of a sudden he could hear gunfire and men screaming until all that remained was silence. The silence was terrifying because it wasn’t that hard to work out what was next. His police escort held his gun and moved towards the door.

“Don’t open those doors!”

“Why is that convict? You a coward?” The officer mocked him. 

“I’m trying to protect you, the bastard isn’t after you. He’s after me. I’m trying to keep you alive.” The officer opened the door only to be stabbed through the chest with a sword. The officer gurgled, and haphazardly slapped the Throwing Star Killer’s hidden face, before he slumped on the road, unmoving.

Church blinked, “I knew that we would have this conversation.”

The man in the hooded mask said nothing, his head twitched from side to side. It was obvious just how far out of his depth he was now. He wasn’t the top dog, that was clear now. . Church could feel his heart thumping in his chest.

“You want the Green Arrow? I had planned to have him and his friends followed, recorded. When we got something concrete I was going to send it anonymously to the media. I can give you to him.” He held out his hands, as a gesture of goodwill. “He’s all yours. From there you can take out his family, his friends, his colleagues. I have his name. Oliver Queen. Are we good?”

Perhaps he could negotiate with this masked man? And when the time came, the bastard would be unmasked and feel his wrath. 

The next thing he felt was something piercing his neck and began to feel cold almost immediately. “Yeah, we are...” The demonic voice said to him as he felt darkness take him.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver turned from the window of his office. He adjusted his tie as Adrian entered. Oliver gave him a friendly smile before he offered him a seat. “What brings you here before my press conference?”

Adrian smirked, “A buddy needs permission to wish you luck?” At Oliver’s raised eyebrow Adrian relented. “Alright, I came to speak to you about Wild Dog. Our Hockey Mask killer. He beat the crap out of a convicted pedophile. He brutally killed the man with a hockey stick to the head. And while I don’t disagree with what he did personally, the law states that he must be held accountable for murder. Today it may be a pedophile, tomorrow it may be another killer, but what happens if it's an innocent person that walks into his cross-hairs?”

“What did Laurel say about this?” Oliver asked. Chase had seemed to develop a habit of going over Laurel’s head. Though, Adrian had seemed to have curbed it since Oliver had given him a warning.

Chase was quiet, creating an awkward pause for a moment. “I’m sure she would agree with me, she understands the dangers that vigilantes can possess. She has worked with the anti-vigilante task-force…”

“Alright, I will speak to Laurel about it.” He said, “And Adrian?” Chase looked up, with a look of remorse, and something he couldn’t quite name. “In the future, run it by Laurel. She’s the District Attorney that I chose, not you. Keep that in mind. I’m getting tired of reminding you.” Chase didn’t say anything, instead, he bowed his head, and quickly walked out, and a few minutes later Laurel entered.

“Hey,” She said with a small smile, one that he couldn’t help but return.

“Hey,” Oliver echoed. “About earlier, when we kissed…” Laurel’s face almost became unreadable as he mentioned their moment. It made his heartache. He had pushed her away too much in the past few years. “I love you, Laurel.”

Laurel’s gorgeous green eyes went wide, as she moved towards him to kiss. Their lips met, and for a small moment, everything except the two of them disappeared. “I love you, Ollie.”

“I have to ask you something,” Oliver said, as he kept one arm around her waist. “Chase wants me to issue a shoot-on-sight order for Wild Dog. What do you want to do?”

Laurel exhaled, but he could see that she was happy that he had deferred to her judgment. “It’s a slippery slope, Ollie. Once we cross that line, we can’t go back. We have established precedence, with all the anti-vigilante rhetoric and beliefs that are currently in the justice department and the SCPD, how long until their gun-sights are on us?” She sighed again, pulling her hair back, “If you think it’s the right call for our city, and the people in it, make the order. I’ll stand beside you.”

Oliver nodded. He gave her another quick peck while cradling her head in his hands. For the first time in years, he felt like he was finally home. Laurel was his home, and they were finally on the same page. Eventually, they untangled themselves and he walked out to the press conference room.

“Good Evening, I have several things that I will inform the city about, so I request that all questions remain until the end.” He cleared his throat, “First thing’s first, many of the citizens of Starling City are worried about the continued existence of FEAST. I can assure you that it has been taken care of, and the organization is under new management. Many people in the Glades know and respect the man, as do I.”

Oliver looked to where Ted Grant stood, “May I introduce our newest director of FEAST, Mister Theodore Grant. This man has lived his entire life protecting and serving the people of The Glades.”

Ted Grant walked up to Oliver and shook his hand. “I appreciate this, Oliver.”

Oliver smiled, “We can protect this city together.”

After Ted had walked to the side, looking awkward in his suit, Oliver continued. “I now have some pressing news. I have spoken with the District Attorney’s office, who has consulted with the SCPD. “ Oliver said, looking from Laurel to Adrian, Pike, and Commissioner Cameron. “I have decided to issue a kill-on-sight order for the individual only known as Wild Dog. He is a reckless and violent man and it is only a matter of time until an innocent person is caught in the cross-hairs. And rest assured we will take him off of our streets, thank you.”

As he started to walk towards the door to his office, he watched Laurel and Lieutenant Morgan leave out a different door.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Laurel walked with Lieutenant Mack Morgan into her office and took her seat behind her desk. It was at that point that she saw a bottle of Pinot Noir on the table. It was at that moment Lieutenant Morgan seemed to notice the bottles, as his eyebrows furrowed.

She couldn’t say they were not hers. She already had a history of lying about possessing narcotics and alcohol. It wouldn’t be hard for Morgan to look into her history and find that. Whoever had planted the bottle, just like the vodka, a day or so ago. Someone was definitely out for her and using her history to remove her from the District Attorney's Office.

“It was a gift, so I plan on re-gifting it.” She lied. 

Morgan didn’t reply to that, instead, he looked around the room, before looking at her. “I thought I should inform you that around five SCPD officers along with several private contractors were killed en route to Iron Heights.”

“Tobias Church.

“Dead,” Morgan said calmly. “He was killed by a throwing star. Just like Conahan. There is a new player in town, and he is making our vigilantes, including Wild Dog look like a bunch of puppies in comparison. “You inform Mayor Queen, and I will ensure that the next of kin are aware before the media find out. Miss Lance.” He said, rising from his chair, and leaving the room, taking another look at the bottle of wine, then at her.

“Forensics is looking into the metal of the throwing stars, it had been crudely reforged according to forensics.” He then put his hand in his pocket. “A storm is coming, Lance. We both feel it, and things are going to get worse before it gets better. We need you and the rest of the City’s leadership wide-eyed and bushy-tailed.” He said with a gesture to the bottle of wine. “The government took a hit with the murders of Conohahn and Church. Cameron and Pike speak highly of you. I hope you their faith in you isn’t unwarranted.”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Rene could feel it in his bones, something that he has known his entire adult life. War. A war was coming to Star City, and he wasn’t the only one who could feel it, and yet he was the only man that was not going to ignore the threat to his city. He would put a bullet in every mad man or woman that threatened the people of this city. He would do it for his late daughter and wife. Zoe. For Laura.

He turned his head, to see a man in a green suit that looked as if it were a corrupted version of the Green Arrow’s suit. Rene grabbed his MP5k, holstered his pistol, and pocketed his combat knife.

The world did not need a vengeful lunatic that didn’t care about the safety of others. The public and the SCPD may consider him a wild dog. A rabid dog. The truth was he was the rottweiler that everyone hated but needed. His job was messy but it had to be done. He would hunt down and execute those corrupting the city.

He fired his submachine gun at the masked man, who seemed to almost gracefully evade every bullet from his gun. He had been trained well, perhaps those crazy bastards in Kuwait and Iraq weren’t so crazy after all.

Wild Dog reloaded, though before he could aim again, he took a throwing star to his shoulder. “Think a little pain will put me down?” The kevlar beneath his shirt wasn’t designed for knives or blades.

The man came in way too quickly, it was almost unnatural, he used his gun to block most of the man’s attacks before Wild Dog jumped off of the building, and narrowly landed on the balcony several floors down. Wild Dog rolled over to feel the pain shoot through his side. He lifted his shirt to see that he had bruised a rib or two, before unlocking picking the door open and fleeing through the building. 

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Chase looked down at the streets below, and couldn’t see any sign of the man. This Wild Dog was a pawn for him. He would be made an example of, a sacrificial lamb. He was never going to be killed. Not by him a least. He was always going to be arrested under Oliver Queen’s orders without him even knowing that he was digging his own grave.

He walked back, pulled off his mask, then grabbed his phone. “I would like to report a sighting of Wild Dog, the vigilante with a hockey mask and guns. My name? I am Assistant District Attorney Adrian Chase.” 

  
  
  
  
  



	7. Sowing The Seeds

Oliver walked with his sister as they exited their car to see the small tent city, and everyone seemed in happier spirits since there was a change of leadership. Thea was right when she had mentioned on the car ride that for all intents and purposes the director of FEAST was the unelected leader of The Glades now.

Ted Grant was the leader of these people and probably has been an unofficial community leader for longer. He was a former vigilante who knew that the city was in decline.

He bumped shoulders with his sister, “How’s Roy, I didn’t get the chance to ask earlier.”

“Roy’s good. It’s been a while since we last saw each other. We had a fair bit to catch up on, it was just good to see him again, to see that he is alive.”

Oliver couldn’t help but smile at his sister, she seemed to be lighter than usual, it was between that and Laurel returning to help them of the night. It felt right for them to protect the city by day and of a night.

“And how about you and Laurel?” Thea asked with a raised brow.

“We are just friends, Speedy,” Oliver said, deflecting her question. 

“I don’t see you making out with John or Barry.” Thea quipped with a mischievous wink.

Oliver scowled as he looked at Thea, who was now sniggering. “We are actually going out tonight, as a couple.”

Thea cocked her head to the side, and had a wide grin. “Oh, I know, but it’s my job as your little sister to tease you when I can.” Oliver groaned, and walked past her, he was definitely going to return the favor. If she wanted to play that game, then he could too.

He kept walking and Thea quickly caught up, as they saw Ted Grant. “Ted. A couple of the new apartment complexes will be habitable in the coming weeks. I heard that you had helped with the pace of the buildings by arranging many of the kids who lived on the streets to take up apprenticeships with some of the tradesmen.”

“Sometimes the people need a small push, or a chance to see what it looks like to earn honest money. They need to see for themselves what it is like to go to work every day. Even if only a ten or so end up becoming a professional tradesman. It’s ten people off the street. And ten more people who can then lead productive lives.”

Thea gave a small nod, “Have you started to plan out who gets priority housing?”

“Yeah, it may cause a ruckus, but we are going to be treating it like a triage station. “Families with young children, or dependencies, and the elderly will be given their apartments first, and we will work from there.”

Oliver looked around the old night club. He still couldn’t believe that he had made this building into a nightclub when he came back home. He had intended to help gentrify the Glades, and now, he was practically housing them in the same building, and rebuilding the old Glades. “I really appreciate you stepping up to help not just me with FEAST, but the entire city.”

“No, Oliver. It is I who should be thanking you. As far as I am concerned, I owe you. I don’t care if it is as simple as getting you some milk, attending one of your fancy galas, or something else. I owe you.”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Laurel exited the courthouse and saw Adrian making a B-line for her. He always seemed to be checking in with her, at first she thought it was him being kind, but it was wearing thin, he was always talking to her about her father, or speaking to Oliver, instead of consulting her.

“Adrian,” She greeted him with a forced smile.

“Laurel,” He said. “I was just checking in, your secretary said that you were headed to the graveyard to give your father flowers before you headed off to court…. “ He hesitated. “Look, I know you and I haven’t had the friendliest of a relationship… And that is my fault. I just want to assure you that there is no shame in taking a sabbatical after all you have endured. I will keep your seat warm.” When he noticed her reluctance, he spoke again. “I’m not gunning for your job.” He put his hand over his heart. “I know what it is like to lose a father, and not a day goes by that I don’t miss him, or want the bastard to rot in hell for taking him from me.”

That didn’t seem right to her.

Hadn’t Chase said that his friend had gotten or was getting justice for his father when he was killed? And now Chase himself wanted justice for the same thing? Something seemed off, with Chase, and she couldn’t put her finger on it. What she had to do was be careful, last time she had mentioned her suspicions of one of Oliver’s friends to him, a fissure was created between them. She couldn’t afford that, not when things were finally starting to work out between them. They were finally on the same page.

“I wasn’t just visiting my dad. I was visiting my friend Tommy Merlyn, and Moira Queen. And I think I can cope with everything that has been going on in my life. I just have to keep rolling with the punches.”

“And when you can’t keep rolling from the hits you take?”

“I always keep getting back up from the mat, Adrian. I never stay down for long.” She then gave Chase the politest smile she could manage and excused herself by saying that she had to write up some paperwork.

Once she got back to her office, she immediately went to her computer, and looked up her ADA, only to find that the man, Adrian Chase, had only existed for just over sixteen months.” She chewed on her pen nervously, as she stared at the man’s picture. Her fingers danced over her cellphone, but she decided not to call Oliver. She had to look into Chase further.

Laurel kicked herself, she should have vetted Chase since he was a remnant of Ruve Darhk’s DA’s office. Laurel had only kept Chase on as a form of professional courtesy. She continued to chew on the pen as she started wondering what her next move was going to be. She would have to investigate Chase quietly and once she had enough evidence she could then show Oliver before the police. Laurel just hoped that she hadn’t just unpinned a grenade and threw it into her and Oliver’s new relationship. 

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Adrian had to give Dinah Laurel Lance credit, she was cleverer than he had anticipated. He had expected her to go straight to Oliver, instead, according to the live feed on his phone, she was sitting there, silently planning. Apparently, she was her father’s daughter. It didn’t matter that she was too terrified to tell Oliver what she suspected, or rather what she knew. That Adrian Chase never existed.

He had researched Oliver Queen for a long time, and Laurel Lance was always there from the beginning even after all she had endured and suffered. The only time Oliver had really put any distance between her and him was after she had gone on a vendetta against a new buddy of his, Sebastian Blood. Blood and Wilson were smart, they had used her addiction to make Lance look like a madwoman.

Luckily, he already had back-up plans to remove Laurel from Oliver’s side, or at the very least torture Oliver, that little bit more. Chase smirked, as he pocketed his phone, and walked into Oliver’s office. 

“Hey, Adrian.” Oliver greeted him.

“Hey, “ He echoed. “I just wanted to personally inform you that the ACI led by Lieutenant Morgan has proven to be a great idea. They have just taken out a black arms dealer, and we will be sharing the information with the FBI since according to one of the men, Phillip Cobb, The Blue Bowman, has connections to a drug empire in Gotham.”

“And you just sent it by email or a call?” Oliver raised his brow at him. 

Chase knew he was on thin ice.

Chase shook his head. And had to lay on some of his charms that Oliver was too dense to see through. “I actually wanted to talk about Laurel. She seems kind of off and aloof. I was wondering if you knew anything about why she is acting so strangely? I tried asking her, but she deflected.”Oliver shook his head, though he tried to hide his worry for her behind his facade. It was more than a concern for a friend.

Chase had to resist smiling. He kept his mask in place. Oliver and Laurel were a couple now, and that just made his job a lot more enjoyable. It was better this way, in some ways Laurel is just as guilty as Oliver. She, after all, was complicit in her role as The Hood.

“No, she seems fine, but I will talk to her tonight and see if anything is wrong.” CHase nodded, and was about to leave the door. “Adrian.” He said. “Laurel is your boss, not your friend. Treat her as such. If you come back, I’ll send you back to her. If Laurel deems it important she will be brought back.”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver smiled at the waiter who brought them their food. He had ordered for them since the owners only spoke broken English. A Pozharsky cutlet served with mashed potatoes, mushroom sauce, and sliced cucumber.

Laurel smiled at him as he licked his lips at the dish. It wasn’t a fancy dinner date location, but neither of them wanted to flaunt their money in front of the people who had it worse off compared to them. He also felt more at home with Laurel, even if that meant they were eating in a cave.

“What is it, it smells amazing?”

Oliver chuckled, “Just eat it, you will like it.” He teased. He then shook his head at the owner of the restaurant who was coming towards them with a bottle of vodka. “Sparkling Water will be fine, thanks.”

“I think this is the first time I have eaten Russian food since Raisa cooked us something.”

Oliver couldn’t help but smile, remembering Raisa. This is what they needed to do more often, spend actual time with each other, and not necessarily speaking about work.

“I think that is a part of why I love our city, Ollie. No matter where you go, or what you do, there is always a spark that makes you remember that this city despite its troubles is our home.”

Oliver lifted his glass filled with water, “Our home.” He clinked his glass with hers, watching her beautiful green eyes sparkle with mirth. Oliver leaned over the table slightly to kiss her, and she returned the kiss. He felt his phone vibrate and accidentally kneed the table, causing a small giggle from Laurel, forcing him to give her a playful glare in return.

He pulled out his phone to see Thea’s I.D. “Speedy this better be important.” He growled. This had better not be her teasing them.

“There’s a shoot out between Wild Dog and a bunch of arms dealers. I know that you and Laurel are having a date night, but I could really use your help with them.”

“We will be there as soon as we can. Ensure that Terrific is on comms by the time we get there.”

Oliver placed down the cash for their dinner before walking with Laurel to his car. “What’s happening?”

“Wild Dog is in a shootout.” As they drove to the base, Oliver gently squeezed her hand. “If something was wrong, you would tell me, right?”

Laurel gave him a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, “I would.” There was something she was hiding and wasn’t telling him. He gave her hand a final squeeze before they arrived at the base.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Speedy followed Black Canary and Green Arrow through the restaurant to see the bodies of the gun dealers. She walked out into abandoned alleys until she noticed a man running up a fire escape. “Hey!” Speedy yelled as she started running up the stairs.

She climbed the metal stairs, unsheathing her sword, and cupping her bow to her back as she sprinted upwards, out of the corner of her eye, she could just see Oliver rappelling up to the roof, with Laurel in one arm.

Thea rolled backwards, narrowly falling off the fire escape as Wild Dog shot at her. Eventually, Thea made it to the roof to see Laurel and Oliver fighting Wild Dog. It was evident that the man had professional training, to her eyes it looked similar to the same fighting styles that Diggle had taught her and Laurel when Ollie and Felicity had left the city.

She moved in as Oliver received a kick to his stomach, and Laurel narrowly dodged a pistol whip to her jaw. Thea ducked under his punch to kick him in the ribs. He collapsed then rolled away, before jumping up and clutching his ribs.

“You coming in to hunt me down, is that right, Hoss?” Wild Dog asked, looking at Oliver.

“You need to be stopped before innocent people are killed,” Oliver growled before he aimed a rubber-tipped arrow at the man’s ribs. It won’t kill you but it will hurt like hell.” More so since the man seemed to be clutching his side. 

“You're not man enough to kill me, so you will let the state do it?” He scoffed, “I am no different to you! I am simply doing what is necessary to keep the city safe from pricks that want to leech off the good people. I haven’t killed one person that didn’t deserve it.”

Thea’s eyes moved from her brother to Wild Dog. “So you are imitating the Hood?”

“No.” Wild Dog growled, “I’m avenging my family, my little girl, and wife. They were killed.”

“What was your daughter’s name?”

“Zoe.” Wild Dog revealed, lowering his weapon.

 _“ Zoe Ramirez was killed during Genesis. Along with her mother, Laura. The only remaining family member of the Ramirez clan is the husband and father. Rene was deployed overseas as a US Navy SEAL.”_ Curtis said a few minutes later.

“Rene Ramirez. Your family was killed by Damien Darhk. I killed him.” The Green Arrow said, “I avenged your family, and you can honor them not by slaughtering thugs but by being a hero in the light. A beacon of hope.”

Wild Dog froze before taking off his mask, revealing a Latino man with scruff around his face. “You killed this bastard that killed my family?” His voice sounded hoarse but relieved.

The Emerald Archer gave a small nod, “I thrusted my arrow into his chest. He drowned in his own blood. I am telling you this to give you one chance, and _only_ one chance. You leave Star City and never come back. And I won’t bring you into the SCPD.”

“You better be honest with me, Hoss. If you don’t I will put a bullet in your head after I have killed every person you have ever loved.” Wild Dog then threw a smoke grenade down. They could hear the man say that he owed him one. Once the smoke disappeared, so had the vigilante.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver had gotten up early so that he could bring Laurel some breakfast, he unlocked her door, to see Laurel passed out on her couch. Half-empty liquor bottles and a few wine glasses were around her, as well as a few opened pill bottles.

Oliver felt his whole body become cold, as he dropped the bag containing their food to rush towards her. He felt her pulse, then opened her eyes, to see her pupils were normal. “Laurel!” He shook her.

She groggily woke up, “Ollie?” She looked around, she looked so scared. “I know that this looks bad, but I have no idea how these got here. I promise you, Ollie, I haven’t had a drop of alcohol or had any drugs.”

He gave her a look of compassion, “I wouldn’t judge you if you had. I need you to promise me that you are clean, Laurel.” Had she taken her mantle too quickly and been too proud to admit she needed help? That didn't make sense, she looked free, liberated. She was doing what she loved. He could tell her heart broke when he had asked her to promise him that she wasn’t lying. “I didn't mean it like that, Pretty Bird.” He said softly.

“Chase is after me for some reason. And I know that he is your friend, He’s not really Adrian Chase, he has only existed for sixteen months. There is no record of him before then. He has been trying to set me up, Ollie.”

She rushed over to her computer to show him the file on Chase, only it showed everything from the point of his birth to now. His awards, his education, everything. He knew Laurel wasn’t lying, she had been right about Blood. And it seemed that Chase was his spiritual successor. Only they had no proof.

He held Laurel in his arms and kissed her. “I believe you. Is this what has been bothering you?”

She nodded, sobbing in his arms. “I was scared that my whole life, our relationship would disintegrate as it had when Blood came between us.”

Oliver kissed her forehead. “I will always believe you, Pretty Bird.” He then looked around to see that Thea’s door was open. “Where’s Speedy?”

She probably went back to work last night, she probably feel asleep over there, Laurel said. She grabbed a plastic bag and started to put all of the bottles and drugs into it. Oliver moved around to remove some as well, then moved to the door to grab the cheese and bacon rolls. “I brought breakfast. We can call into work and say that we won’t be in. I promise, Laurel. You're not alone. You have Thea, Curtis and more importantly, I will never leave you.”

“I love you.” She whispered.

“I love you too,” Oliver responded with a small kiss on her head.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Mack Morgan clicked his tongue as he waited for the results from forensics. After almost an hour of waiting, he watched as the scrawny man walked out to him. “What’s the report?”

The man that couldn’t have been older than twenty-five hesitated and looked around. “It’s the same makeup as The Hood’s arrows from five years ago. But Roy Harper is dead, and all of his arrows are either in lock-up or were destroyed.”

That meant that either one of The Hood’s old accomplices had some arrows, or more likely, there was corruption within not just the SCPD but potentially anyone within Star City’s justice system. Perhaps Ms. Lance was not as far from the truth as Commissioner Cameron supposed. He had checked most of the SCPD officers, which meant that there was someone else that was dirty.

“I want all records given to me, and the rest is to be archived, and only I and Mayor Queen have access to it, understood? If you mention this to anyone, I will arrest you, and you can spend your time in prison along with the likes of Daniel Brickwell or Benjamin Turner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, the next few chapters will be dealing with the Invasion! Crossover.


	8. Invasion of The Dominators

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bonus chapter for this week! 
> 
> As with 90% of the time when I have tackled a crossover arc, I have had invaluable help from Okoriwadsworth. He helps me with the finer details and the context of the other shows around the time of the crossover. So that I can try to write some of these characters as accurately as I can.
> 
> Anyway, we are just starting with the Invasion! Crossover. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Oliver had just cut the ribbon for the set of apartment complexes that were built, it was the first step of progress that wasn’t solely a band-aid solution. He couldn’t help but smile and thank every family that was given a set of keys to their new home.

After he had set them up, he walked over to Laurel, “Hey, Pretty Bird.” She had been doing well keeping her calm in The D.A’s office. Over the last month or so, they had been having a scheduled lunch date together that was in part to discuss what Chase was up to, the other half was just for them.

Laurel cupped his jaw and gave him a small peck before she spoke. “We are one step closer to repairing our city.” In the blink of an eye, Laurel disappeared, before he could say her name. He was now in The Bunker, and so was the rest of the team, with Barry standing a few feet in front of him. 

“Something we can help you with, Barry?” Laurel asked, looking slightly green.

“I heard about how you officially repaired a few buildings in The Glades. Good work, guys!” Barry said, taking off his cowl, and raised his hand towards Oliver for a high-five.

Oliver shook his head, “Barry?”

“Right. Aliens.”

Curtis’ eyes almost popped out in excitement. In all honesty, Oliver was happy to see his friend look lighter in the last month or so after he had come clean with Paul. And now Curtis could easily join in the banter with Barry. “Aliens? That is so cool! Are we talking: Wookies, Xenomorphs, E.T., Daleks, or Vulcans?”

“More like World War Z zombies. John called them the Dominators, and says he’s currently trying to help Lyla with the bureaucracy surrounding the issue.” Barry said, looking at every member of the team anxiously.

“So you,” Thea pointed at Barry. “Me, Laurel, and Ollie against an army of aliens? I think that we will be a little out-manned and out-gunned.”

“Not if we include Stein, Jax, and the rest of the Legends.” He then looked at Laurel. “Do you know where your sister and her team are?”

Laurel gave a small nod and moved towards one of the computers. “Roughly. Time and space are still hard to understand, let alone to try to find them.” She typed into the computer “Where do you want them to land?”

Barry moved towards Laurel and entered the coordinates of the STAR Labs Hangars. He then used his speed to take the other Star City vigilantes to the same location. After a few moments, they saw one of the shuttles suddenly appear.

“You guys can set up in the hangar. We will be back in a few minutes.” Barry said as he walked towards Cisco. To Oliver’s eyes, it looked like the tech genius was having a row with Barry. He pinched his brow as he waited with Laurel while Thea helped Curtis set up what they needed in the hangar with the rest of Team Flash.

He won’t get involved in the quarrels of others as long as it didn’t affect the cohesion of the team.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Barry and Cisco disappearing into a strange blue portal before it too disappeared. Things have certainly gotten more interesting since Barry Allen entered his life.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Laurel watched as Sara almost marched off the time-shuttle, instead of embracing her, as she had expected. Sara froze. Her little sister’s face didn’t show anger, it showed confusion, she looked from her to Oliver.

“Laurel?” She almost whispered.

Laurel only nodded, before she hugged her little sister. She didn’t understand why her presence had stunned her sister so much. “I’m officially back as the Black Canary,” Laurel said, suspecting that was the reason for Sara’s shock.

“What's taking so long?” The man grumbled as Ray and two other men joined Sara.

Ray stood beside Sara, his grin widend as he enveloped Laurel in a hug. “I’m so glad that you are alive again!” He then looked at Oliver. “How did you manage it, the pit?”

“We didn’t. The timeline changed.” Oliver said softly, taking Laurel’s hand in his, and giving her hand a small reassuring squeeze.

Laurel’s voice sounded more hoarse than she intended. “Sara, Dad passed away. He died from a heart attack.”

Sara didn’t say anything, instead, she rushed into her sister’s arms and hugged her tightly. “I love you, Laurel. I’m sorry that I couldn’t be the one to save you, but I’m glad that you are back.”

“You don’t blame me for Dad’s death?”

She felt her sister’s head shake. “No.”

“I think we should head inside, I presume we have much to prepare for our upcoming tasks.” An older man said. Laurel assumed the older man was Dr. Stein. “Captain Lance?”

“Yep,” Sara said, wiping her eyes and blinking a few times. “I’m glad that you are alive and well, Sis,” Sara said as she and her teammates entered the hangar.

Laurel waited beside Thea and Oliver until Barry reappeared. For a few minutes, her mind was darting between Sara, and what Chase was up to. Barry eventually reappeared with a young woman with blonde hair wearing a skirt and a blue shirt with a red _S_ embossed on her chest.

“I thought you were bringing an alien,” Oliver said, and Laurel couldn’t help but agree. Laurel certainly wasn’t expecting an alien from another planet, and a parallel universe to look so human.

“I did,” Barry said. “This is my friend Kara Danvers. She goes by the name of Supergirl on her Earth.”

“What makes her so Super?”

To Laurel’s surprise, and likely others in the room, Kara started hovering several feet above the ground, she the carved the same _S_ symbol into the floor with her eyes.

Kara moved around the room introducing herself to the rest of the team to stop these Dominators. “Oliver?” She said, pointing at Ollie.

“Green Arrow.” He said.

“Barry mentioned you when we first met. You must really be a hero on this Earth-like my cousin Clark, and his friend, Batman.”

Oliver bit his cheek and looked downwards, finding his boots to be more interesting. He couldn’t hide his pride from her that he felt after being praised not just by Barry, but also Kara.

“Thea?”

“Yep, “I’m Speedy.”

“Laurel?” Kara asked, pointing at her.

Laurel gave her a small nod and shook her hand. “Black Canary.”

Kara seemed to be excited, which made Laurel’s eyes widen. She certainly wasn’t expecting that sort of reaction. “Barry mentioned you, Oliver, Firestorm, ATOM, and Zoom in the same breath. You virtually have your own legion of heroes in this very hall!”

Kara then moved over to The Legends, as she did Thea whispered to her. “Should we tell her that she lumped one of Barry’s enemies in with us?”

“No.,” Oliver said. “We don’t need to make unnecessary waves.” If Barry hadn’t corrected her, neither would they.

After a short briefing on the Dominators, Oliver had suggested that they use Kara to train with, which made some sense since she herself was an extraterrestrial. Oliver’s suggestion, that sounded like a command from those that didn’t know him rubbed some people the wrong way.

“Who said Robin Hood was in charge?” Mick Rory growled. The man took another bite from his sandwich, glaring at Ollie.

“We certainly need a leader, someone we can all trust.” Ray chirped, looking around the room at the various people.

“I vote Oliver!” Cisco said almost immediately. It was a jab at Barry, the two men were supposed to be as close as brothers, and yet Cisco had chosen Oliver.

“I appreciate that Cisco, but Barry was the person that had rounded us all up to protect the Earth from these invaders, he deserves to lead.”

Barry stuttered as all eyes were on him. Oliver tried to help him, by quietly saying the correct words that his friend was trying to find. Laurel had to resist smirking at the situation, and so was Thea.

“Are we just not supposed to not hear Oliver speaking?” Sara chimed in, as Barry quickly dismissed everyone to suit up and get ready for training.

After they had trained, Laurel watched Cisco and Barry argue. It was a small quiet argument, until someone overheard a small part of it, and told the pair to share it with the rest of them.

“Jax and Professor Stein found a recording from me in the future warning Rip Hunter not to trust me.

“And why should we not trust you?” Sara asked quickly.

“I created an event called Flashpoint. This event changed the timeline, and now things are different. Some of your lives have been altered by it.”

“Who has been affected by this Flashbang thing?” Mick asked.

“Cisco, Caitlin, Wally. Laurel is now alive, and her father is dead.

“You can’t just change the past, Barry.” Sara said hotly, “I wanted so much to save Laurel, but I couldn't because I know the consequences.”

Laurel froze. She had moved mountains and almost ruined her friendships with Oliver, Thea, and Nyssa to bring her back. She had the means to save, but didn’t.” Laurel blinked away her tears and focused on the job at hand. She had to deal with the Dominators, and then Adrian Chase and her city. After that, she can begin to process her sister not saving her for the fear of consequences. 

She was brought back when she felt Oliver wrap his arm around her waist, and heard Curtis tell them that the Dominators had taken the president, and Diggle needed to speak to them.

“You guys go ahead, I’ll stay back. You have Kara, and she is just as fast as I am. You should be fine, just talk to Digg, and save the President. Everyone except Kara, Oliver, herself, and Speedy had started to leave to head towards John.

“Hey!” Oliver yelled. “Everyone is going, including Barry.”

“Then you will be there alone with him, Robin Longstride,” Mick growled as he and the others started to leave once more.

“Kara and I will go with them. Having two people with calmer minds may help them in a fight or negotiations or what have you. ” Speedy said as she and Kara followed the others out of the Hangar and headed towards Diggle.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

They followed Diggle’s coordinates that led them to the warehouse. Thea could just make it out over a small rise. Thea was walking next to Sara, the tension between the two of them was palpable. Thea could feel the hairs on the back of her neck raise, and it wasn’t about aliens or monsters, but the woman next to her.

Sara came to a stop, Thea followed in suit, and came to a halt, and let the others keep moving. Supergirl seemed to notice and told the others to stop a short distance away.

“Say what you need to say, Thea. We can’t work together if you don’t speak your mind.”

Thea scoffed, and folded her arms, “I don’t think you want to hear what I have to say.”

“Say it anyway.” Sara was goading her. 

Thea bit her lip for a second before she spoke. She wouldn't cower, not when something needed to be said. “Fine.” Thea said shortly. “I think that you betrayed Laurel the moment you didn’t go back in time to stop Darhk. You and your _Legends_ could have done a thousand different things to save Laurel. Your sister! You let her rot in the ground. You would have just run away from your obligation to save your sister despite having the means!” Thea’s voice had taken on a harder edge as she finished.

“You don’t know what you are talking about. The risk was not worth more than the reward, as callous as that sounds.”

“And what of the risks that Laurel took to bring you back to the land of the living!?” Thea said, taking a step towards Sara. “She dug you up and took you to Nanda Parbat. She broke Nyssa’s trust when we convinced Malcolm to allow you to be submerged in the pit. The friendship they forged is in tatters because Laurel loves you. When you returned without a soul, she and Ollie got into a fight about the massive risks that she took. I almost died! So don’t you tell me about the risks!”

“She is not your sister, Thea!”

Thea stopped, “No she isn’t, but I wish she was. She’s my best friend. And you took her for granted and let her die.” Thea felt sick, she couldn’t imagine Laurel not being around. That without Barry’s Flashpoint thing, Laurel would be in a grave.

“Are you done?”

“Yeah.” Thea gave a short jerk of her head, she had said her piece. “I’m done.”

Kara flew over to them, “Are you finished arguing? We have a president to save, not to mention your world.”

Thea nodded and walked ahead of the others, eventually they walked in to see one of the aliens, only for her to drop to her knees feeling as if she had a massive migraine. Before passing out, she could just make out someone asking Supergirl to make it stop.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver walked towards Laurel after the other’s had left, he held her in his arms. “Are you all right, Pretty Bird?” Laurel leaned into him for a few minutes before separating herself.

“I'll be okay.” She said, wiping her eyes. “I think that I’m going to walk around the hangars for a little bit to clear my head. If you guys need me, I’ll have my comms on.” Oliver watched her walk outside, leaving her jacket on one of the chairs near Cisco before she left.

He didn’t know what to do to help Laurel right now. Chase was at home setting Laurel up to lose her job, something that she had been working towards for a long time. She had recently found out that she was supposed to be dead, not her father. He knew that she blamed herself for that, but what made it sting more was the fact that despite Sara’s apology for not saving her, Sara’s recent confession when she ridiculed Barry was that she decided against saving Laurel for one reason or another.

He could sympathize that Sara wanted to follow the rules of time travel, or whatever rules Rip Hunter had set for them, but this was her sister. This was Laurel. If he had the chance to bring Laurel back from the grave or prevent her death from occurring, he would do it in a heartbeat. He wouldn’t seek forgiveness or ask permission to save her, regardless of the cost, not because she was the love of his life, but because she was a beacon of hope in the same way Barry Allen is.

After Laurel had left, he noticed that Barry was next to him. “Will she be okay?” He heard his friend ask in a small voice.

Oliver nodded, patting a small compartment in his suit that contained a small box. Laurel endured so much and seldom complained. She had put her feelings aside about the circumstances surrounding his son’s conception when William was in danger. “Laurel just needs a breather. She’ll be okay.” At least he hoped she would be.

“I need to show you something.” In the blink of an eye, he was now in a strange room, looking at a newspaper being projected on the wall. Oliver noticed the headline mentioning The Flash disappearing. “I was so worried about the past, about saving my mother, that I didn’t even think about the ramifications it would have on the future.” Barry pointed out the author of the article, “It used to say Iris West-Allen. We were oing to be married in the future.”

“You need to stop beating yourself up about this, Barry.You wanted to see your parents again. I understand that, and so does everyone who has ever lost a loved one. My father killed himself to save me, he murdered another man to ensure that I survived when the Queen’s Gambit sunk. My mother was killed by Slade Wilson, a man that I once considered a brother. My mother gave her life to protect me and Thea. Laurel lost her father, who died from a heart attack after finding out that she was in critical condition. We were powerless to stop them from dying. I know for a fact that given the chance, Laurel would jump at the opportunity to save her dad and my parents.” Save Tommy. “And So would I.”

Oliver breathed, “The world didn’t change because you reverted the timeline. People change, things change and tragedies happen, and the world keeps moving. You are not a god, Barry. You are a human, just like me, Laurel, Thea, or Ray. You have powers that we don’t, that doesn’t change that in here.” He placed his hand on Barry's chest. “You are human.” Oliver then gave his friend a reassuring squeeze of the shoulder, before Barry hugged him. After a brief second, Oliver returned the gesture.

 _“Guys, we have a problem.”_ The screen then changed from showing the exterior of STAR Labs, with Black Canary walking away from the cameras. Her hands were raised as she tried to talk to friends and allies. Oliver’s stomach twisted before he raced outside, and he and Barry stood on either side of Laurel.

“Whatever happened, we can deal with it.” Black Canary said before The Flash caught an arrow that Speedy had shot.

“I think whatever has happened to them, they don’t feel like talking.” The Flash said before all of their brainwashed friends launched their attack, forcing The Flash to take the two Star City heroes and himself behind a wall of Star Labs.

“You really did it this time, Barry!”

“Seriously?” The Flash asked before he sped off with Supergirl and Firestorm chasing after him.

“What’s the plan?” Black Canary asked as she poked her head out of cover, only to go back and narrowly miss a shuriken to her head.

“The only thing we can do. We fight, without hurting them too much,” Oliver said, as he started to fight their friends and their sisters. Green Arrow and Black Canary fought their opponents, dodging their attacks and using techniques that would hurt their allies when they would be coherent, but wouldn’t cause permanent damage.

Oliver kicked Mick Rory in the stomach and was ready to take on Sara before Barry was thrown to the ground. Oliver knelt next to him as Laurel protected their rear from Thea and Ray. “How long until the mind control is over?” Black Canary panted.

Oliver helped Barry to his feet when they saw all of their allies encircle them. Oliver looked at Laurel. “Cry!” He shouted.

SCREEEEEEEE

Oliver’s eyes widened, none of them were affected by her collar’s sonic screech. They would have to use harsher measures to keep their allies down. He pulled out an arrow when all of their brain-controlled allies were pushed over, and Oliver saw Wally West preening like a peacock.

“Wally?” Barry asked.

“Kid Flash.”

Before they could thank the newest speedster, Supergirl dropped out of the night sky, and dive-bombed into Wally, knocking him out, and sending him several feet away from the other heroes. 

“Cisco, Terrific. The Brainwashing!” Black Canary growled.

_“The Salt mines, Canary,”_ Cisco said over their comms.

“I’ll take Supergirl over there, to get her to damage the signal.” The Flash said, before pointing at the opening of STAR Labs. “You can hold them off in The Bunker.” Oliver picked up Wally and started to rush towards the corridor within STAR Labs that Barry had directed them down. The dim lighting prevented him and Laurel from seeing anything beyond a few feet in front of them.

They turned down a small alcove, Oliver passed her his bow. “Unbuckle the quiver, I am going to need you to cover us, Canary.” He watched Laurel fasten the quiver over her shoulder. “You ready?”

Laurel gave him a hesitant nod before they kept heading down, he heard a concussive arrow explode, it wouldn’t hold them off for long. Eventually, they came to a dead end. Oliver gently lowered Wally against the wall, unclipped the baton from Laurel’s waist, and spun it in his hands to get a feel for its weight.

Oliver deflected several shurikens as Laurel fired several concussive arrows towards Ray and Thea. He narrowly missed being singed by the flames by Mick Rory. He grabbed his weapon, threw it away, and delivered a kick to his head, knocking him out.

He looked over, on his way to move towards Sara, Laurel had taken down Ray Palmer and moved on to Speedy. He had Sara in a chokehold. “Oliver?” Sara mumbled. He looked over to see Laurel hugging his sister. He sighed and heard Barry’s voice. “ _It’s destroyed, how are things on your end?”_

Oliver released Sara, and moved towards Wally, “We are good.”

They walked out from the corridor out to the streets, only to feel this strange sensation. “Ollie!” He turned to see Laurel racing towards him before everything disappeared. The last thing he heard was a loud high-pitched scream. 


	9. Utopia

Laurel was pacing back and forth in the cortex. She had only sat down long enough for Caitlin, Cisco, and Barry to inform her that she was a metahuman. As of right now, this newly discovered power didn’t mean much. Despite her Canary Cry, as Cisco had named it affectionately, it was useless to save her boyfriend, her two sisters, and their friends. She was a failure, she was going to lose her job to Chase, and now for all, she knew her loved ones were being probed, dissected, or eaten.

She hadn’t considered the last one until either Curtis or Cisco had mentioned the Xenomorph from the Alien movie. She couldn’t be afraid. She sighed, it was too late for that, she would have to settle for not showing her fear, not letting it overcome her. 

“San Francisco,” The man that looked eerily like Harrison Wells said. “Perhaps, Bells and Whistles, here, can help you find something that belongs to one of her teammates, and you can vibe to find them?”

Laurel didn't know what his relationship with the other Wells was, but he seemed to empathize with her. She tucked her hair back, as Cisco’s face lightened up. “Yes.” He said. He then opened up a blue-white portal. Her friend gently took her hand and disappeared into it, only to see that she was now in The Bunker.

Laurel didn’t give herself a chance to marvel at the incredible power her friend had just displayed, instead she rushed over to Oliver’s bag, and picked out his wallet, holding the photograph she had given him before the island, and once again when she thought she was going to die.

Laurel swallowed as she stared at the photograph, wondering what kind of hell Ollie and the others were going through. Cisco held out his hand, “I will be gentle with it, Laurel.” Her friend said softly. 

Laurel hesitated for a second, now wasn’t the time for sentiments, it was a time for survival. She had to bring her family back safely. She gave it to him and took a step back. Cisco shook his head and held her hand with his free one. “I can show you where they are, if you want?”

Did she want to know? Yes. Even if the reality was bad, it was worse not knowing. “Thank you.” She whispered. The next thing she knew, she and Cisco were standing in the alien craft staring at her friends and family who were asleep in some kind of strange pods. “Ollie! Sara! Thea!” She yelled. She had to snap them out!

Laurel panted. She was back in the bunker. She glared at Cisco, “We could have woken them up!”

“No, we couldn’t.” Her friend said ruefully. Laurel just noticed Curtis was now in the bunker, looking just as lost. They were the last of their teammates on Earth. Laurel blinked back tears, he must have followed her into the breach. “They are on an alien ship.” He then handed Curtis a fragment of some sort of alien hardware. “It may be a long shot, but we may find information on their whereabouts on it.  
  
Cisco walked towards the computers for a second. Laurel found herself moving into her Curtis's embrace. "We will get them back," she promised him. Laurel had to put on a strong face, they would need Curtis's intellect to help them. 

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

He could feel a pleasant weight on his arm and opened his eyes slightly to see Laurel’s golden hair messily draped over her face. He leaned over to kiss the love of his life, only instead he heard the wails of a small child.

Laurel stirred in her sleep, “Ollie, can you look after Liv?” She groggily mumbled before Laurel slightly rolled out of his embrace. “I fed her the last few times”

Oliver smiled, and left the confines of their warm bed, and moved towards the bassinet in the corner of the room. He shushed his beautiful daughter, picked her up gently, and cradled her in his arms. Oliver then headed out to feed his baby girl.

He heated up her milk before testing it on the inside of his wrist. It was just as the nurse had shown them at the hospital. He kept her cradled as he sat down in front of the television and started to feed her.

“You are a hungry girl aren’t you, Baby Bird?” He cooed, watching her. He still couldn’t believe that he and Laurel had created a gorgeous child. He had heard people speak about the miracle of having a child, but hearing about it was certainly a different thing from reality. It didn’t make the statement less true though.

It wasn’t long before she had finished feeding, he gently wiped off the excess milk from her chin, before holding her against his shoulder, and burped her. It was then that he heard Laurel leave the bathroom and enter the sitting room. 

Laurel sat next to him, resting her head on Oliver’s shoulder as she blew a kiss at their daughter. Olivia started to drift off to sleep when his phone started to vibrate and woke her back up. Oliver clicked his tongue in irritation before handing over his beautiful girl to her mother. Oliver could hear her singing softly to their daughter as she headed towards their room.

“Hello?” He asked, not looking at the phone.

“Oliver.” His mother said. He looked at the time, and as usual, his parents were up early. “Your father and I would like to discuss your daughter’s future. If you and Laurel are not busy, your father and I would love to see our grandchild.”

Oliver rolled his eyes, he knew that soon after Olivia’s birth, his parents would be hounding him about her future. He looked at the date on his phone. His parents had let the matter rest for longer than he thought. “I’ll talk to Laurel.”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

****

Laurel walked out of the bunker after changing into her civilian clothes and grabbing a burner phone on her way out, hearing Cisco and others talking about how they planned on utilizing alien tech to find Ollie and the others. Apparently, most of them had moved into their base of operations while she was busy. Laurel opened the flip-phone and sent an SMS message to the person.

“911. I need you in Starling. Green Arrow and Speedy are gone. Aliens.”

A few seconds later her contact replied back. Her friend replied saying that he would be in Starling as fast as he could. Luckily he was only in Bludhaven.

She entered her car and started the ignition when Kara entered and sat down on the passenger seat. “Where are we going?” She seemed so different from the others, even compared to Barry, Kara seemed to have this pleasant bubbly demeanor that no one could rival. Laurel couldn’t help but feel the tension somewhat dissipate when she was around Kara.

“I’m doing whatever it takes to protect my home, now that we have several people including our best strategist captured by the enemy. I’m all that is left of my team apart from Curtis. I can change that.” While she couldn't contact Nyssa, Ted was different.

“I know what it’s like being one of the only people to escape from something. And while it’s not the same, not really because my cousin and I are the last of our people, Oliver, Your sister, and the others aren’t dead. You have to have faith.”

Laurel gave her an appreciative smile, before looking back at the road heading to FEAST.

Once they arrived, she got out of the car and heard Kara shut the door behind her. “So this Ted guy is a retired vigilante?”

Laurel nodded, “Yeah. He trained me. But what he was, or did isn’t public knowledge.” She walked in and saw Ted taping up some boxes.

“I heard about the aliens. The world keeps getting crazier each year,” he said not looking up. When she didn’t reply he looked up. “You alright?”

“Ollie and Thea are gone. They were abducted.” Laurel tried her best to prevent her voice from cracking from her swelling fears. “We need your help. There is a chance we can bring them back home.”

Ted kicked the box to the side and looked at two of the young men that Ted was mentoring, and had under his employment. “Thao! Gagandeep!” He called out to each of them. “Tell Amicia that I’ll be taking a personal day. A couple of days at most.” The young men nodded before they left. Ted then looked at Kara, then back to Laurel, “Who’s she?”

“I’m Kara, a friend of Laurel’s.” Her voice then became low. “I’m from a different Earth.”

Ted looked at Laurel, his eyes wide as if asking for her to elaborate. “Long story, she’s a friend that can help.”

Ted closed his eyes and shook his head. “I’m a boxer, but I’ll do what I can, even if I don’t quite understand what is happening or what ‘another' Earth' means. I’ll stop by and get my old gear.” Laurel felt her shoulders sag in relief. 

Kara shook her head, looking excited. “Not necessary. We have one ready for you.”

Ted raised an eyebrow, “Lead the way then.”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

They made it to the mansion and were let in by Raisa. “Mr. Oliver, and Mrs. Laurel.” She greeted, while gently poking Olivia’s cheek. “And Miss Olivia as well.”

Oliver smiled at her, before walking in to see his mother. Moira got up from her seat and gave them a welcoming smile. “Oliver, Laurel.” She said as she took her grandchild from her mother’s hold.

Oliver blinked. He thought he saw his mother impaled by a sword in front of him and Thea, but that couldn’t be real. He shook his head, only to see his mother looking at him with a worried glance. “Are you alright, Oliver?”

Oliver blinked again, “Yeah.”He mumbled. “Yeah, I just didn’t sleep much last night.”

“I hope you are awake and coherent enough, Oliver, to see someone just as special as this little one.”

Oliver’s eyes widened as he saw his son from before he and Laurel had started dating again. “Hey, Wills!” William raced over to hug his father before asking to see his little sister.

Moira showed his son how to hold his baby sister, it wasn’t that different from how she and his father had taught him how to hold Speedy for the first time. Oliver looked up to smile at Laurel, at the children getting along, but she wasn’t around. “Pretty Bird?” He asked, only for his mother to gesture towards his father’s study.

Oliver followed, opening the door to see a man he didn’t recognize before he saw Tommy. He was in a midnight black suit, with a black-tie, and a matching pocket square. “Tommy?”

His friend practically jumped up from his seat and wrapped his arms around him. “It’s been a while, Ollie. And I heard about your first daughter.” He stepped back and adjusted his suit. “Your dad suggested that our little business triumvirate help you, Mr. Mayor. We want to provide you with a blank check to help expand and nurture Starling.”

Oliver blinked again, as he saw Tommy impaled by a piece of re-bar.

“Son?” His father asked.

Oliver nodded, and felt Laurel rub small reassuring circles on his back, “Deep breaths.” She looked back at the assembled men. “He didn’t sleep well.”

“One of the things the world never prepares you for is having a baby.” Robert chuckled as he gestured towards the tall man next to Tommy. “Oliver, I would like to introduce you to Doctor Raymond Palmer, a contemporary of mine.”

Oliver shook the man that couldn’t have been much younger than him. “Have we met before?” Raymond asked, looking at Oliver with a strange look. 

Oliver could see the man in some sort of exo-suit and asked him for advice as if it were a memory. But that didn’t seem likely. He was sleep-deprived, which would explain the strange vision. 

Oliver shook his head, “I don’t think so, or we have it was a brief meeting.” Palmer seemed slightly put out, but instead of voicing whatever he wanted to, he adjusted his blue tie.

“Well, I should be going,” Tommy said, patting Oliver on the shoulder. “I’ll be sure that Merlyn Global group doubles whatever QC is offering, can’t let Merlyn Global Group look like a bunch of chumps. Especially next to our biggest competitors in the Northwest." He then took another cocksure step. "I promise Ollie, we will get your daughter a beautiful present, it should be arriving from Italy any day now"

“Send my regards to Helena,” Ray said before he left too.

“I think you and I need some time to clear our heads, son,” Robert said, giving Laurel a small smile, before walking him out. “I’ll make sure that you get your husband back in one piece, Laurel. It won’t be long before Thea said she would be home.

.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

They had gotten out of the car, and had been walking for the past hour, neither saying anything, it was just a quiet walk between him and his father. It wasn’t until they walked down several streets, and had made their way to Orchid Bay, did his father finally speak. “I hope you're not having second thoughts about your relationship with Laurel, especially now that you have a beautiful daughter with her.”

Oliver’s brow furrowed, “What? No. No. I love Laurel. And I wouldn’t want to do anything that would hurt either of them, Dad.”

“Good.” His father said, looking back over the ocean. “ You are a better man than me, Oliver. I want you to know that I couldn’t be more proud.” Oliver gripped his father in a tight hug before he pulled back. 

“Thanks, Dad.” As he pulled back, his father’s skin became grey and had small chunks of his skin missing, as if birds had pecked at him. 

Oliver felt cold and wet. He felt himself struggling to breathe before his dad lifted him up and into the raft. 

_“Survive” His father muttered._

He watched his dad kill himself. What the hell was happening? Was he hallucinating? All he knew was that his stomach felt like it was tying itself in knots.

“I know I haven’t been the best role model for either you or Thea.” His dad said. “I want you to do better. Right, my mistakes. Show Olivia, William and any other children you and Laurel bring into the world, what a good man is, what a loving father and husband is.”

His dad checked his watch and tsked. “It won’t be long until we have our family dinner. Raymond Palmer, his wife, Anna, along with Tommy and his girlfriend will be joining us.”

They started to make their way back to the car before he heard a gun being cocked. “Give me everything you have!” Their mugger commanded, walking out from a shadowy alcove.

Oliver felt something within him bubble over. The feeling compelled Oliver to stand in between the gun and his father. “Get away from him!” Oliver growled.

“You can take a bullet, and I will take what I want off your body.”

“What are you doing, Oliver! Think about Laurel, Olivia, and William!” His father said, trying to talk him down.

A silhouette dropped off the roof and threw the man over his shoulder before punching him in the head. Oliver could only watch as the man without a face seemed to glare at him. “Are you stupid?” The vigilante growled through a modulator. “Listen to your Dad, Mayor Handsome, think about what you could lose before you pull a stunt like that!”

He then jumped up onto the dumpster before vaulting over a wall and into the night. 

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Thea was cooing over her baby niece, on the couch next to Laurel. She couldn’t help but laugh as the little girl in her arms cackled. Her blonde hair peeked out of her cap. “I love her, so much Laurel! She’s so cute.”

“Don’t get any ideas.” Her mother said as she entered the room. “As much as I would love to have more grandchildren I don’t think that you and Roy are ready for that step.”

Thea bit back a retort that she was more than content to just play with her niece, and occasionally babysit, but she didn’t want all the responsibility of having a child. She had enough obligations as the director of Queen Consolidated's Applied Science Division.

Her mother looked like she had blood dripping from her lips, while a sword was impaled through her back and chest.

“Thea?” Laurel asked, “Thea, are you alright, you look pale?”

“Yeah.” She swallowed. “Yeah.” She swallowed once again to stop the rising bile. Before she could speak anymore, her brother and father walked into the room. “Ollie.”

She remembered walking down the steps of the mansion looking at her brother, never expecting to see him again. Thea sighed and tried her best to banish it from her mind. Oliver was right there in front of her.

“Seems like you have made yourself comfortable with the baby.” Her dad said with a small smirk tugging at his lips. It was at that moment, she imagined him in the middle of a stormy night in the ocean, thousands of miles from the shore when he killed himself to keep Ollie alive. Keep Ollie alive? That didn’t make sense, her brother was right there in front of her looking uncomfortable.

“What happened to you?” Laurel asked, looking up at her husband.

“He tried to prevent us from being mugged, but one of the vigilantes, The Question. The faceless-fellow prevented Oliver from getting a bullet in his head."

Laurel jumped up from her seat beside Thea and hugged Ollie. “You can’t do that to me, or to Liv. I can’t do this without you, Ollie.” Thea noticed a few tears trickling from her eyes when her mother picked up Olivia.

“I will take the little angel to Oliver’s old room, we have a bassinet waiting there for her.”

Her dad took a step back from the couple and shirked off his jacket. “I think it may be best if you take him to your father and sister, Laurel. The SCPD should know about what happened.”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Sara tapped her pen against her desk. She had finished most of her paperwork. She eyed her superiors who were still working. It wasn’t until she walked over to her father to ask what time they had to be at the Queen mansion that she saw him.

Her heart seemed to hesitate, as she remembered him telling her that Laurel had died. That she had been killed by Damien Darhk. She exhaled and looked up to see Oliver and Laurel walking together hand in hand.

She could see herself telling an entire group of people that she didn’t save Laurel for a reason, and could see the heartbreak painted on her sister’s face. Sara gulped before she and her father moved towards the new parents. “Ollie, Laurel,” Sara said hugging both.

“I thought we were going to meet up at your parent’s, Oliver.”

Sara looked at Oliver and got a glimpse of her being caught between some sort of cords, and Oliver in a green hood holding a bow was in front of her as she said something to him. 

“ _Some things never change. You and her, always and forever.”_

“Dad, Ollie, and Robert were nearly mugged.”

Sara looked at Oliver, he seemed to look as sick as she felt when she saw her father and Laurel.

I was saved by a vigilante.” Oliver mumbled. “He didn’t have a face.”

“Seems like one of the two who like to imagine themselves being the successor to Robin Hood. They usually only save the lower socioeconomic classes and rob from the rich. Sounds like you got lucky.”

“I need to get some air,” Oliver he told them.

Sara felt like there was something odd happening. Oliver then kissed her sister and rested his forehead against Laurel, whispering something to her before he left.

“He will be alright, Laurel.” Her dad said. “I’ve known him since he was a boy, and he loves you and his kids more than anything. He will come back to you.”

After her shift, she got changed and headed to The Queen Manor to see Thea opening the door for her. Thea gave her a side hug. And it was at that moment, she recalled an argument with Oliver’s sister.

_“No she isn’t, but I wish she was. She’s my best friend. And you took her for granted and let her die.”_

She couldn’t have let Laurel die? Could she?

Laurel was alive. So why did she feel the guilt in her heart? In her soul? 

Thea jerked out of the hug and gave her a frosty stare that reminded Sara of Moira Queen. The younger woman dragged her into the den and locked the door behind her. “Something isn’t right. Why do I remember arguing with you over Laurel?”

“Because this isn’t real,” Sara mumbled. She had let Laurel die. It all came back to her at that moment, how she had run away from Nyssa, ran away from her family. How she ran away with The Legends and abandoned her family.

“Thea, sweetie. Can you unlock the door? I need to get ready for dinner.”

“Sure, Mom,” Thea said, unlocking the door and taking hold of a small baby in her arms. Sara felt sick. She had left with Oliver on the Gambit, ruining Olivers and Laurel’s relationship. She did it again when she had left Nyssa. Could her sister and Oliver be starting their own family by now if she hadn’t ruined it?

She felt like she was about to vomit. She left Laurel to die, all because she blindly followed Rip Hunter’s orders. She was too much of a coward to bring her sister back. One thing was for sure, she would never let it happen again. Their Dad had always told them that they should protect each other. She had lived short of that lesson. She wouldn’t falter in the future. 

“She’s Olivia,” Thea gestured towards the bundle in her arms. “What do you remember before you woke up this morning?”

Sara didn’t recall doing anything, she couldn’t even remember going to sleep. Then it hit her. She was with Oliver, Thea, and Ray. They were abducted by aliens. And instead of hurting her physically, they had shown her just how much she had screwed up her sister’s life. And how she betrayed her sister because she was too busy running. She could still work with the Legends, and stop running. First, she would have to get the others, and finally apologize to Laurel, it was what she should have done as soon as she saw her when she returned to Starling three years ago.

“Aliens.”

“I’ll put Liv down, and I’ll find my brother while you find Ray.”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver pinched his brow. He had everything he ever wanted. His parents were alive, and so were Tommy and Quentin. He was married to Laurel, and together they had made a little angel, so why did he feel compelled to fight against it? Why did it feel like it wasn’t right, like a shirt that didn’t quite fit? 

He found himself walking down to an old office building, and found a hidden panel. He entered a pass-code and entered the elevator. After about thirty seconds, the doors opened up to a dark underground bunker.

The next thing he knew, he was pinned to the wall next to the elevator doors, by a couple of crossbow bolts. “You don’t belong down here, Mister Queen.” The Huntress walked out.

“Helena?” Oliver gritted her name out. 

The Huntress seemed to ignore him as she activated her comms. “I have your buddy down here. “who do you think?” She said, “Oliver.” Oliver focused on attempting to unpin himself from the wall, while Helena walked away to the command center. “So what are you wearing, handsome?”

A faceless man walked out from the shadows, perhaps the garage. “A black overcoat, a white collard shirt, a black tie, and a pair of grey socks with the face of Scooby-Doo on them,” Tommy's voice answered. The vigilante took off his strange mask, revealing his best friend's face with a playful smirk.

“That’s not how you are supposed to answer that question, Merlyn. It’s not a damn checklist. I really have to burn those ugly socks!” Helena huffed as she pointed her crossbow at Oliver. “You can deal with him. Make sure that he keeps his nose away from all of this.” She gestured with her arms. “The last thing we want is his father-in-law to come down here with SWAT.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” His childhood friend winked flirtatiously at the Huntress. 

Tommy walked towards him. “What are you doing down here, Ollie?” His voice sounded deeper and more commanding than normal. 

“I’m having visions. A different life, one where I was a vigilante.”

Tommy shook his head, “You should forget everything you have seen down here Ollie. You don’t know who The Question is, nor The Huntress. I don’t think you realize just how much you can lose by going forward with boneheaded decisions made at the spur of the moment. Don’t challenge the status quo, Ollie. It won’t finish well. You have a good life here, a wife, and a beautiful little girl. It’s something that people would kill for.” His childhood friend ripped the crossbow bolts that were pinning Oliver and dropped them to the floor. “Tell your mother, we won’t be there tonight.”

After returning to the vast yards of the mansion, he heard Thea calling out to him. He turned to see his sister there in her black and red leather jacket. His sister asked him what he remembered. The fact of the matter is that he remembered everything, now. Or the stuff that mattered at least.

“We need to get out of here, Ollie. Sara and Ray are waiting for us in the den.” Speedy grabbed his hand, and took a step in the direction of the manor, only he didn’t move. “Ollie?”

“I don’t know if I can go back, Thea. Our family is here, they are alive.” He swallowed a lump in the back of his throat. “I have a daughter. William is here. I can’t leave them.”

Thea didn’t drop his hand, “It feels real doesn’t it? Who's to say that you can’t have a piece of this utopia back home? You and Laurel are together now, who knows what is installed for the two of you down the road? You may have a bunch of little Lance-Queens running around. But right now, Laurel and Barry are fighting the aliens back home. Our home, Ollie. Will you come with me?” Her voice sounded desperate as if she couldn’t leave him behind.

That she couldn’t tell Laurel that he was too weak to leave this dreamworld.

“I don’t think either of you will be leaving anytime soon.” Malcolm Merlyn walked out of the shrubs, holding his bow in one hand.

Malcolm nocked his bow and loosed an arrow at Thea. His sister ducked before she ran towards Malcolm. Oliver followed suit. He kicked high, while she kicked low. Malcolm stumbled backwards, before he dropped his bow and unsheathed his sword.

Oliver back-stepped at each and every slash. “I’m doing you both a favor by keeping you here.”

Oliver moved up, disarming Malcolm by spinning his wrists and driving the sword up into his chest.

Oliver and Thea moved towards where they heard fighting. Sara and Ray were fighting against Slade. Until Sara took a shovel and drove it into the back of Slade's neck.

The four of them panted as they saw a blue-white portal open up in front of them. “You ready?” Ray asked.

“Ollie!” He heard Laurel cry out to him. Oliver gestured for the others to leave, and that he would catch up. He moved over to Laurel, who was holding their baby in her arms. “Where are you going? You have been acting so strangely. Is it me?”Her voice then became something that sounded vulnerable but had a steel sharp edge to it. “Liv?”

Oliver cupped her face in his hands. “It’s not you. I would love nothing more than to have a little girl or boy with the real you. None of this is real. I love Liv with all my heart.” His voice cracked as he thought of his daughter. “But she’s not real. None of this is. No matter how much I wish it was.”

Laurel wiped a tear from his eye, “It is real if you want it to be.” She whispered, almost pleading with him. 

God, the way she looked at him, the way it hurt to reject her and their daughter. It broke his heart. 

“I really wish this was real. But the real-world needs heroes like me, Thea, and the real you.” He swallowed down the rising emotions. “The world out there is harsh and it’s cruel, and we are there to make it a little bit safer. I can’t do that being here. I’m so sorry Laurel, and tell Liv that her daddy loves her so much.” He leaned down and kissed his daughter one last time, before giving Laurel a rueful look.   
  
Oliver with a heavy heart turned around to see that Thea had waited for him. His little sister grabbed his hand and walked with him through the portal. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thanks to Ray_Writes for allowing me to use Tommy as The Question, as well as having him and Helena in a relationship. 
> 
> Some of the banter between the two was inspired by the JLU cartoon.


	10. Take Back Earth

Laurel felt Barry and Kara standing beside her, while Roy and Ted were getting caught up on everything they had to know. It wasn’t long before they heard a small whirring sound. She walked outside, only to see her family and friends walking out of the Waverider with Nate, the historian she had helped to find the rest of the legends.

Before she could hug Oliver, Sara bolted down and wrapped her arms around Laurel. “I’m so sorry Laurel. I was running away, instead of helping you.” She sobbed. “I hope you can forgive me?”

Laurel tightened her hug. “ It hurt when I found out Sara. I will try my best to forgive, but I’m not sure when that will be.” 

Sara pulled back, she then wiped the tears from her eyes and looked slightly dejected. “Thank you.” She whispered before she moved away.

Laurel hated that she couldn’t forgive Sara as quickly as she wanted to. The wound from her sister’s betrayal still felt too fresh. 

Thea’s eyes widened as she entered the warehouse, and saw Roy standing there next to Ted, before making a b-line towards him. Laurel smirked as she watched her younger friend head towards Roy.

“I see that we have some reinforcements?” Oliver mused from the other side of her, before wrapping an arm around her waist.

“I thought we would need any help we could find.” She then looked up at Oliver. “What happened?”

The look of pain and hurt appeared in his eyes as quickly as it disappeared. She saw it when others may have missed it. He gently held her hand in his. Oliver walked her out of the hangar and away from the building for some privacy.

She watched in awe and slight confusion as he slowly knelt on one knee and presented her with a familiar ring. It was something that she had dreamed of for so long. The sight made her stomach do funny flips, and yet it didn’t explain the hurt on his face. “Dinah Laurel Lance, will you do me the honor of being my beautiful wife?”

God, she wanted to say yes, and yet her brain made her ask him a question in lieu of answering. “What happened on that ship?”

His lip trembled, and his eyes watered. “We had a beautiful baby girl, Olivia. And everyone was alive, my parents, your Dad, and Tommy…”

Laurel’s heart jumped a beat. “We had a daughter?” She almost whispered.

“I think they gave us our dream world. And that was seeing our family whole.” Oliver continued, not raising from his knee. “I love you, Laurel. And I need you, I need the world to know that. That we are together, always and forever.”

Her heart desperately wanted to say yes. But that would be taking advantage of him, it wouldn’t be fair, no matter how much her heart would ache. She was also having issues with Chase, what if he used their engagement to hurt Ollie’s career?

Laurel squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. She couldn’t hurt Ollie, due to Adrian Chase gunning for her job, or his vendetta against her. Laurel couldn't and would not take advantage of Oliver's vulnerable state. “Ollie…” Her voice cracked. “I’m not saying no… But I can’t marry you right now.”

Oliver made a sad gesture with his head before he rose to his full height and kissed her cheek. “I love you.” He murmured, walking back towards the hangar. Laurel let out a hitched breath and tucked her hair behind her ear. They had to focus on the aliens, then she and Ollie could have a proper conversation about where they stand in their relationship. 

Laurel followed Ollie back into the Hangar to hear them wondering why the Dominators had captured non-meta humans, and why they were so interested in the vulnerabilities of metas. It was so bizarre, that it meant they saw her as more of a threat than most of the people in this hangar. The Dominators really underestimated human nature and people like Oliver, Curtis, Speedy, Ra's, Malcolm, or Darhk.

“It makes sense that they would consider meta-humans as a more prominent threat to their invasion than humans, due to their powers.” Kara then pointed at Barry. “He has speed, Cisco has the ability to open breaches, Caitlin has Ice powers?” She asked, and saw Caitlin nod before Kara then gestured to Laurel. “And Laurel has some kind of sonic scream that is eerily similar to someone I know.” Kara said, though, from Barry’s demeanor, that didn’t bode well for her.

"I didn't mean it like that," Kara said quickly. "You are nothing like her. You are loyal, kind, and good. She wasn't." Laurel gave her a small smile. 

“Wait, you have powers?” Sara asked, raising an eyebrow, “Since when?”

Laurel took a deep breath, looking at the league of heroes in front of her. “Since you all were abducted.”

Oliver’s eyes widened, “That high-pitch scream… That was you?”

“That is so cool!” Thea beamed.

“Maybe we can return them the favor?” Ted suggested. Laurel was somewhat pleased that her friend had changed the subject and allowed them to focus on their job at hand. 

Oliver seemed to easily bounce off of Ted’s suggestion. “That’s a good idea, we should take one of their own to learn about their weaknesses.”

Barry shook his head slightly. “I don't think that's possible, apart from the crashed ship, and that mother-ship that took you guys, the Dominators haven’t exactly been easy to find, especially not their ships.”

“Luckily, you have a man within ARGUS that has access to classified United States Government briefs and documents.” Diggle said, walking into the Hangar, his security detail remaining at the doors of the building.”

“Does that mean that you have access to the real intelligence relating to The Moon Landing, JFK’s assassination, and oooh, what about Area 51? That last one is very topical.”

John simply looked at Curtis strangely, before looking at the rest of the assembled heroes, and even giving Roy a small nod. “In 1951, Oregon, Redmond to be exact. The Dominators wiped out an entire company of Army Rangers stationed at Fort Lewis. I, unfortunately, can’t tell you more than that, most of it is classified way beyond even Lyla’s reach.”

Roy’s head bobbed up and down, and sported a wry smirk, “If only we had a way to go back in time and interrogate one of these invaders.”

“That is certainly a feasible plan.” Stein contemplated, “And who will be a part of this excursion to handle this Dominator from the past?”

Cisco clapped his hands. “Time travel, I’m so in.”

Laurel noticed Barry do a double-take, “Caitlin, Dr. Stein, and Curtis have been talking about a way to take down the Dominators…”

Cisco petulantly rolled his eyes. “I’m not interested. I’m going on The Waverider.”

“No, you won’t,” Oliver replied firmly, breaking the tension-filled silence. “You will stay here, and help find a way to deal with the Dominators. We have to play to our strengths.” He said, walking past Barry to look at Cisco. “A house divided against itself cannot stand. If you can’t handle being on this team, why are you here?”

Cisco stared at Oliver for a long moment, before he walked towards Caitlin, Wells, and Curtis.

Diggle cleared his throat, “One more thing, the new president wants to have a meeting, apparently, it’s important.” He informed them before excusing himself, as Oliver and Barry started dividing everyone into groups.

Oliver looked at Nate, “Nate, you will be In charge of the team that will be heading to 1951, Sara you will be the leader of the reserve force, in case a team needs back up, or if there is another issue elsewhere.”

Barry nodded before he pointed at Kara. “You should probably help with the Dominator, we don’t know what they are like, and this mission can’t be allowed to go sideways.” He then pointed at Roy, and then Ted. “Roy and… I’m sorry I don’t know your name?”

Ted extended his left hand to Barry. “Ted Grant. Wildcat.”

“Oh, nice to meet you.” He said as he shook the boxer’s hand. “You will also be heading to 1951.”

Ted snorted and looked at Laurel. “And I thought my days as a vigilante were over. Never say never, huh?” He then walked over to where Kara and Roy were standing. “I’ll also take Amaya with us since she is already on the Waverider,” Nate said before the time-travel team shuffled out of the hangar and towards the Waverider.

“Speedy, Mick, and Jax will remain with Sara, protecting our base, as well as going out into the field if necessary. You will be our auxiliary force.” Laurel said, looking at the four of them. 

“So that leaves, the two of you, me and Barry.” Ray Palmer said, with a toothy smile. “And we are going to meet the president, that’s pretty cool.”

“It would be,” Barry agreed, “If not for the current situation.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Roy followed the blonde woman into the time-ship. It was so bizarre that ever since he had met Oliver, everything had become stranger and stranger. He was just a kid that grew up on the mean streets of The Glades. And now here he was, aboard a time-ship ready to kidnap an alien.

“So, Laurel said that you were both heroes that lived and protected Star City?” The blonde woman wearing a skirt and cape said congenially.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Ted said humbly. “I was just a guy protecting the down-trodden in The Glades. I never made as much of an impact as the others.”

“I’m not sure about that! How is it that you both know Laurel?” Kara asked. “She seems to hold you both up in high regard.”

“She and I were teammates when she first started,” Roy answered. It felt odd. He wasn't used to hearing praises. It wasn’t that he didn’t know that Laurel and the rest of the team held each other in high regard, it came with the territory, but the way this woman spoke, it was as if she was walking amongst titans.

“I trained her.” Though it sounded like Kara's question held a double meaning for Grant. 

“Well, you did a good job!” She said happily. “I’m Kara, by the way. Supergirl.”

“Roy Harper. Arsenal.”

“I’m Amaya, Vixen.”

“Nate and I’m Steel,” Nate introduced himself as he moved towards the cockpit-like area of the ship. “Gideon. Send us to Redmond, Oregon, 1951.”

_“As you wish, Doctor Heywood. I see we have three new guests. Ms. Kara Danvers, Mr. Roy Harper Junior, and Mr. Theodore Grant. I am Gideon, the Artificial Intelligence of the Waverider, and I welcome you all aboard. Please take your seats, the first time is not pleasurable, so I have heard.”_

“Hello,” Kara greeted the AI, as if it were an old friend, while Roy heard Ted muttering about how crazy it was that on top of aliens, there was artificial intelligence.

After feeling like his insides were spun, they arrived at their destination. They all walked out to a small crest and overlooked the small battleground. He spotted a few soldiers behind a burnt out jeep.

“I would say that we found them,” Nate said as they rushed down to help.

Roy watched as Amaya touched her pendant, before she raced ahead of them with the speed of a cheetah, while Nate seemed to turn into a metal man. He and Ted rushed down and saw a small family hiding behind a couple of large rocks.

“Wildcat, your two o’clock.” Ted turned his head before he followed him. Roy could hear Ted panting beside him as they raced to the small family, the mother was holding her child in her arms as they huddled behind the boulder.

Arsenal fired an explosive arrow at the Dominator that was headed towards the family, while Wildcat helped them up, and took them to a safer distance. Arsenal rolled beneath the swing of the larger alien and stuck an arrow into the back of his leg. The alien seemed to howl in pain before it lunged toward him and threw him in the opposite direction before being beamed up into its ship.

Wildcat returned and held out his arm, “You alright?”

“Yeah.” His arm and chest were going to bruise, but it was hardly the worst he had endured. The pair looked out to see that Supergirl, Vixen, Steel, and a Dominator were being loaded onto a couple of trucks. “We need to find out where they are going.”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Thea left the Hangar to make her rounds. It wasn’t until she had walked around the first hangar, that she had noticed that Cisco and Dr. Wells were following her. She chose to ignore them, at least for now.

She scanned her eyes around the area before moving on. Though she was keeping the area secure, her mind wandered to how weird her brother and Laurel were acting after they had their private conversation. They weren’t comfortable with each other, there was an awkwardness that wasn’t there before they had been abducted.

Thea hoped that they would resolve their issues since both of them were happier than ever despite what was happening with Chase. In the unwanted event that the pair didn’t find a way to mend their relationship, and Laurel left Star, Thea would follow. Even if it would hurt her to leave Ollie, Laurel was her best friend, and she would always stand shoulder to shoulder with her, even if they moved across the country to another city.

Thea shook her head, it was not an event she wanted to prepare herself for. Her mind returned to the dream world. It was Ollie’s Utopian dream to have a family with Laurel. Thea could still see her niece's pretty green eyes and blonde tufts of hair. How did they get from there to the awkwardness? It didn’t matter right now, she supposed. The alien invasion was what mattered. She had to give credit where credit was due. Ollie and Laurel knew how to compartmentalize.

She didn't know if she could do something like that. 

After a few minutes, Thea sighed as she turned around and raised her brow at her tail. “Aren’t you supposed to be inside with the others figuring out how to deal with the aliens?”

“We are just getting some fresh air.”

“How does it feel to be relegated to the C-team?” Cisco asked, with some irritation lining his voice.

“We all have a place, all teams have a mission, we can’t all be in the spotlight.” Thea then looked at Cisco, “What’s your issue with Barry?”

“Flashpoint killed my brother.”

“He made a mistake,” Thea said. The words tasted bitter in her mouth. As far as she was concerned it was a gift. Without it, Laurel would be dead. “Put yourself in his boots, if you had the chance to try to save your brother right now, would you do it?” When Cisco only hummed, Thea stopped and placed her hand on his shoulder. “I get it, you are in a rough spot. I have been there myself. Barry is your friend, and trust me, real friends, people like Barry are hard to come by. Don’t drive a wedge between you two.”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

“How do we get them back?” Ted asked, looking at Roy. “We would be going into a black-site, without backup and only wearing these.” He said, gesturing to their leather jackets.”

“Right now, our mission is to get that Dominator and get information from it. And we can’t assume that the others are getting it since they will be put in a different cell.”

“ _May I make a suggestion, gentlemen? The Waverider is retrofitted with technology from the future. May I suggest that you both enter the fabrication room, and I will create suits and arms for both of you so that you can save Miss Danvers and my friends._ ”

They followed the body-less voice and headed into the fabrication room, the machine whirred to life in a small hum, before a crimson suit with black boots appeared. Ted’s eyes widened, he had never imagined this kind of technology would exist outside of sci-fi films. The red suit had segments that had darker reds.

“ _And your weapons,”_ Gideon said. “ _I have manufactured you a carbon-steel compound bow, and a pair of_ _nunchuks_ _. The handles, like your bow, are made from carbon steel and a_ _rope is made from_ _carbon-fiber.”_

The young man’s eyes glimmered, as he looked at the gear. “Awesome.”

The machine whirled to life, and a different version of his suit was created before his very eyes. The black areas looked like they would protect his organs and major arteries. The rest of the suit was blue-black. He touched the helmet-cowl and smirked. It had the ears of a panther.

As beautiful as the suit was, it seemed like a waste. After the invasion was over, he was going to resume his duties as the Director of FEAST. It was where he was most useful. He made a difference without using his fists or giving his blood to the cause. 

After they had changed into their new suits, they walked out, following Gideon's directions to the black-site where their team was being held.

Arsenal shot several agents with tranquilizing arrows before he snuck behind the last agent and choked him unconscious. They moved through corridors, hearing the shrieks of pain from something otherworldly.

“How much do you want to bet that that is the sound of aliens, Red?” Wildcat asked with a gesture of his head towards a different door. “Try that one.” Instead of waiting, Ted moved towards the cries of the alien. The same being that is meant to be their enemy. It felt wrong to leave it to be tortured and abused.

Ted used his shoulder in an attempt to barge through the door several times before it opened with a loud thud. He moved towards the agent and the scientist. “Drop the syringe, and leave it alone.”

“Belay that order, Doctor!” The agent commanded. 

Wildcat stalked towards the man before punching him in the face. The man collapsed on top of some of the utensils. Wildcat them took a menacing step towards the doctor.“Put down the needle, or I promise you, you will never use that hand again!” The vigilante growled. 

The scientist lunged towards him with the syringe, Wildcat bobbed out of the way with grace, before flipping him over his shoulder, breaking the man’s wrist, and giving him a final knockout punch.

Kara moved towards the alien and broke its restraints, Roy must have released them. “It’s okay, you're safe now.” She said soothingly. They helped the Dominator out of the black-site and into the ship that Oliver and the rest of his team arrived back to earth on. The Dominator entered the small ship and flew into orbit before disappearing.

“It wouldn’t have hurt for him to say thank you.” Roy murmured before they headed to the Waverider. “Did you guys get the information on the Dominators?”

“We did,” Nate said with a small smile.

“I still can’t believe that Agent Smith had access to Kryptonite,” Kara said, sounding melancholic. “It means that my planet in this universe is destroyed, but also there has been a conflict between our peoples. Otherwise, how would he know how to use it on me?”

“I’m sorry,” Amaya said. “We can’t help your people, but you can still help ours.”

Ted remained silent. He doubted that there was a conflict, but it didn't mean that one of her people didn't make their way to Earth and were captured. If one of those fancy rocks came with them, it would explain why the doctor utilized it against Kara. 

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver’s eyes scanned around the old carpenter’s workshop yard, it had been over an hour since the President had requested to have an audience with her. Something wasn’t right, he could feel it in his bones. “She’s not coming.”

“She could be busy,” Barry suggested.

“The Madam President may have a busy schedule, considering that she had just inherited the office after her predecessor was killed,” Ray added, as he looked around.

It was at that moment that a small convoy of black cars skidded around the workshop as armed agents funneled out of the vehicles. Their firearms were aimed at them. An older man with glasses climbed out of the central car and adjusted his jacket.

“The President will not be coming, I’m afraid.”

“And who are you?”

The man looked at Laurel, and gave her a small smirk, “Who I am, is not important.” He made a small gesture with his hand, and every agent cocked their guns.

Oliver eyed each of the men, before looking at the older man. He stepped between Laurel and the unknown man who was casting his eyes between her and Barry as if they were his prey, and he a lion. “Flash, Pretty Bird. I think it may be time to do something.”

SCREEEEEEEEE

Several men were sent flying, and the armored cars were pushed back slightly. He knew intellectually that Laurel was a meta, but to see it was something entirely different. It was beautiful. Awe-inspiring. The next thing he noticed was the remaining men had fired their guns and were now on the ground.

Oliver turned and fired an arrow at another agent. He moved to another when he heard a bullet ricochet to the ground from Ray’s suit. “Sniper!”

Barry disappeared leaving only yellow-gold lightning behind him. Once the men had been incapacitated, Oliver stared down the smug old man, he marched right into the man’s face, leaving only a few inches between them. “What the hell was that!?” Oliver growled his right hand curling into a fist. 

“I have to eliminate the threats. The Dominators consider meta-humans as threats, just like The Flash, or apparently the Black Canary. I concur with their judgment, you need to be removed or registered to prevent uprising or danger not just to our people, but also to the universe at large.”

He didn’t have to see Laurel to know that she was offended by the man’s statement. He also wanted to ring the man’s throat for even suggesting that they should reveal their identities to the government. “Send the Dominators back to where they came from. Tell them that the Earth is not in their jurisdiction, we handle our own affairs.”

“I can’t.”

“You did it before, why not now?” Laurel asked.

“It was a reconnaissance mission. They have a different agenda now.”

“And what is that?” Oliver growled, his hand tightening around his bow. 

“To recover, and arrest Bartholomew Henry Allen.” He said, turning towards Barry. 

His friend’s voice hitched. “Why?” Barry stuttered.

“You upset the course of time. You broke our truce with them, and now you must reap what you have sown, Mister Allen, before our world is brought to its knees by these extraterrestrials” He then looked at Oliver. “You will allow me to take Allen into custody, and from there I will negotiate with them.”

“You won’t be touching The Flash. He is one of us, it doesn’t matter how much his DNA differs from mine, or yours, and that goes for every other meta-human. We will fight any threat to Earth, no matter how many there are. We are the Justice League. People who protect the Earth from threats.”

Oliver then jerked his head to Barry. The speedster took the team back to the hangar, leaving the old man and his agents behind. He watched Barry move away from the group and paced back and forth a few times before looking at the assembled heroes.

“I’m going to hand myself over to the Dominators. You may not like it, Ollie, but it’s the best call to minimize the casualties. Sometimes a hero has to learn when to put down their weapons, and take the hit so others can live. I won’t take no as an answer either.” Barry said resolutely, looking at all of them, daring them to argue with him. “You elected me as the leader, and I am going to fall on my sword so no one else has to.”

“Did you not listen to a word Ollie said out there?” Laurel asked. “Barry we need to fight. If we don't, it establishes a dangerous precedent!”

“I’m not letting you leave!” Oliver replied adamantly, as Barry started to walk away.

Barry smirked, looking back at Oliver with a raised brow. “No offense, Ollie. But I have become faster and have learned a lot since we last fought.”

“He never said he was alone,” Laurel replied, taking a step next to Oliver, who was quickly followed by Roy, Thea, and Ted. Stein and Jax fused together and moved towards them. Sara and the rest of the Legends also moved forward. 

“As fast as you are, Barry. I don’t think you will win.” Kara added, with her arms folded.

“You are not leaving,” Cisco said, moving from the group. “I won’t let you go out there alone. Because we are friends.” Oliver could see Barry’s conviction to be the sacrificial lamb was dwindling, and a big part of that was thanks to Cisco voicing that the two of them were still friends, in spite of everything that has happened between them.

“We have a problem, B.A,” Wells said, moving out and away from the computers. “It looks like the Dominators are about to drop a bomb designed to kill meta-humans.”

Oliver’s eyes moved from Wells, and immediately towards Laurel. She remained strong, but Oliver could see the anxiety within her. Oliver moved up and in front of the group. “The Dominators are targeting our Earth. They are prepared to hurt and kill our friends,” He said looking at Barry, Caitlin, Cisco, and Nate.” And our family. “He said looking at Laurel and Thea. “It doesn’t matter what any of us have done, or what we are. If we go out those doors, we fight. We fight and defeat the Dominators to protect our loved ones.”

Sara moved from her spot within the group, “I’ll pilot the Waverider, and I’ll take Jax and Stein with me. Hopefully, we can find a way to stop the bomb.” She walked past her sister and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze before moving out with Jax. Stein hesitated for a moment before handing the device to Mick Rory and pointing to several duffle-bags before he too left. 

Mick took the final bite of his sandwich. “The Doctor said these things, “He said, tossing one of the small disks to Barry. “They have to all be placed on the aliens before we activate it. He said it will cause them a lot of pain!”

“War is not for the faint of heart,” Oliver mumbled. “Barry we need this done, fast.” Barry simply gave Oliver a cocksure smirk before he sped off with the bags.

“Where are the main forces of the Dominators?” Laurel asked, standing next to Thea.

"Good question, Bells and Whistles." Wells swirled the drumsticks in his hands before he looked over at Cisco. “San Francisco?”

“The intersection of Taylor and Percy.” Cisco answered, a split second later.”

Oliver looked over at Kara. “How fast are you?”

Kara gave him a small smile before she took the heroes several yards away from the Dominators. “I’m fast enough, don’t you think?”

Oliver resisted a smile before he looked over at the large group of Dominators. Barry appeared with them a second later. He was standing between Kara and Laurel. 

Green Arrow fired arrow after arrow until the enemy force had come too close. In his peripheral vision, he could see Kara in the air, using her heat vision alongside the ATOM. Mick and Roy were fighting side by side with Nate. Thea and Ted were fighting together.

Oliver rolled under a lunge from one of the sharp claws of the aliens, and pulled an arrow from his quiver, and stabbed it into the back of the alien. It turned back with a howling screech and sent him back with a hard swing of its arm.

The next thing he saw was the Dominator being thrown back further, by Laurel’s cry. Oliver could just make out Barry’s yellow-gold lightning appearing and disappearing around the battleground.

He stood back to back with Laurel as she used her cry. He fired his arrows. They were always a good team, they didn’t always need to say something to the other, to have a conversation.

_“Okay, let’s see how well Stein’s weapon is,_ ” Barry said into the comms.

The Dominators howled and tried in vain to rip the devices off of them, many falling to the ground before they were beamed up into their ships.

Oliver sighed, and could practically see each of his comrades’ shoulders sagging in relief. “How’s the bomb, Sara?” Ray asked. 

“ _Firestorm is currently attempting to transmute it. It’s taking a bit longer than I am comfortable with though.”_ There was silence in the streets as they waited to hear about the bomb. About the fate of their loved ones. Laurel, Caitlin, Cisco, Barry, and every other metahuman’s fate rested in the hands of Sara, and Firestorm. “ _Wait_ ,” Sara said. “ _Did you just make that bomb into snow_ _and confetti_ _? It is not even winter, yet_ _!_ ”

Oliver could hear a couple of sniggers before Barry took them all back to the hangar.

Before any of them could relax, he watched as the president was escorted into the hangar, and they heard a couple of the secret service agents ask them to stand behind the president. Standing to his left were Kara, Sara, and Ray, and on his right were Laurel, Barry, Thea, and Roy.

He listened as the president formally thanked them for protecting the world from the extraterrestrial threat. After the speech was done, Oliver moved towards the president. “I would like to ask a favor, Madam President.”

“You can ask one favor, and I’ll do my utmost to see that your wish is done to the best of my ability. But this favor won’t be for each member of your organization. I want this to be clear, Green Arrow. You are making this request on behalf of all of you.”

Oliver’s jaw clenched for a second. “That’s fair. I want you to give a presidential pardon to Roy William Harper Junior. He’s an innocent man.”

“Only because you save the world.” The president promised as she was escorted away.

After a little celebration, Oliver found Laurel sitting away from the group looking out at the night sky. He smiled as he sat next to her and offered her a can of soda. “Thanks.” She said, opening it and taking a sip.

He wrapped his arm around Laurel, “I’m sorry that I left right after you turned me down.” As soon as he started being with Laurel again, he had taken his mother’s rings from storage. He wished he wasn’t so presumptuous.

“I don’t think of it as turning you down, but something like a rain-check?” Laurel asked, leaning her head on his shoulder. “We have so much going on in our lives right now, between that and what you had to endure when you had to leave the dream world. I don’t want us to be just jumping into an engagement, no matter how much we both want it.”

Oliver hummed. He felt lighter after Laurel explained her perspective, though it made him feel sad for her. She was going through so much.

What Laurel said made sense. She was protecting both of them from their own impulsive natures. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” She said, kissing him before she pulled back. “What was she like, Ollie? Our daughter?”

“Olivia was beautiful, she had your gorgeous green eyes, and had small tufts of blonde hair on her head. But she could be very loud.” He added with a small laugh.

“She sounds beautiful. I’m sorry you had been forced to leave that reality.” Laurel whispered, once again, leaning her head on his shoulder. They were both content to just look up at the beautiful starry night in an easy silence. “One day we will get to that point.” The love of his life assured him. 


	11. Boiling Point

Black Canary jumped over to the next rooftop, with Green Arrow close behind. It was their turn to make their patrols, especially since Roy was still acclimatizing to living as a free man, Thea was more than willing to help him. Laurel resisted smiling at the thought of her younger friend being happier than she has been in a long while.

It wasn’t until they were heading northbound that they heard Curtis on the comms. “G.A, B.C. there is a massive car crash on The Johns Bridge. The police won’t be able to respond for a short while.”

“Ready, Pretty Bird?” Oliver asked before he shot an arrow. He wrapped an arm around her waist as they rappelled to the ground and ran towards the bridge.

Black Canary raced past, checking several cars, eventually spotting a car teetering on the edge of the bridge. She looked over her shoulder to see Ollie helping an elderly man hobble to safety. Laurel climbed onto the back of the car and broke the back windscreen with her baton.

“Is there anyone in here?” She asked, peeking into the dark confines of the car as she climbed into the back of the car only to hear it groan under her weight. It was at that moment, she heard a young girl sobbing. She couldn’t have been older than ten years old. “Hi, sweetie,” Laurel said, as calmly as she could. The girl’s sobs ebbed, as she looked at Laurel. “Do you know who I am?”

The young girl nodded, “Black Canary.”

Laurel smiled at her. “That’s right. Can you come over here to me?” She said while looking out the front window to see the water below.

“I can’t.” The girl sobbed, “I’m scared.”

Laurel bit her lip as she heard the vehicle groan as it slowly bobbed up and down, ready to fall into the water below. She moved her hands to her face and took off her mask. “See?” Laurel said with a small smile, “I’m just a normal person.” Laurel hoped that removing the mask would stop the child from panicking, and be willing to listen to a stranger. She then held the mask out to the girl, “Would you like to wear the mask? It will give you a special kind of power, it will make you brave.” The girl nodded and put on the mask that was far too large for her. “What’s your name?”

“Steph… Stephanie Brown.” The girl then unbuckled herself, and ungracefully jumped into Laurel’s arms, causing the car to tip downwards. Laurel tied a knot in the back of the girl’s mask, trying her best to ignore the precarious situation they were both in.

“Mr. Terrific?” Laurel called out to her friend through the comms. “Tell Arrow that we need him to brace the blue car that is about to collapse into the water.” A few seconds later, she heard the sound of metal groaning, she looked over her shoulder to see one of Ollie’s grapple hook arrows holding the car.

Laurel pulled out her zip-liner, with the young girl in her arms, and they zipped up to the bridge as the car started to fall into the water. Once they were on the bridge, Laurel used her hair to shield her face from the rest of the world. “You can keep the mask, but you can’t let anyone know.”

“Canary…” Oliver’s voice said in a warning tone, Instead of arguing with her, Oliver gave her his mask, it was lucky that he wore a hood. Once the girl ran off towards her parents, Oliver and Laurel returned to the bunker.

“What did you think you were doing? We can’t risk people seeing what we look like!”

“She was a scared child, Ollie. She needed to know that I wasn’t a scary monster, she needed to see that I was just a normal person. Someone she could trust. We aren’t our masks, Ollie.”

She watched Oliver’s throat bob up and down. “Alright.” He said, “Let’s just not make a habit out of it, especially not with vigilantes being hunted down, and criticized lately in both the SCPD and within City Hall.”

It wasn’t long after their conversation, that Curtis had left to go home. Oliver’s eyes softened when he looked back at her with his beautiful blue eyes. “How about we call it an early night? We can watch a movie, and order some pizza from Mario’s?”

Laurel smiled, resting her head against his chest. “A nice quiet night in, would be lovely.” She hummed.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Laurel walked into her office, and sat down, ready to finish some paperwork. Her fingers started pressing the keys when she heard a slight knock on the door. That is when she saw Chase’s head pop in through the door frame.

She didn’t know what to do with him, on one hand, she wanted to fire him or to do something, anything, to show Chase that her position as the District Attorney wasn’t for sale, or her position would not be usurped without a fight.

“Laurel, I thought I should let you know that the drug testing people are here for their impromptu random testing.”

Laurel nodded, saying nothing as she rose to her feet and headed out of her office. She watched as several of her colleagues had to lick the drug testing stick, and in a few minutes, they were told if they had a positive reading or not.

Eventually, her name was called, and she sat down and completed the test. The older woman was silent, as she waited for the results. The tester hummed before she got Laurel to conduct another test. “I’ll tell you your results shortly, Miss Lance”

She then watched as Chase got his test and was allowed to go back to work, but instead he came over and stood beside her. “What’s up? You don’t look happy.”

“It’s fine,” Laurel said curtly, not looking at him. The bastard was gloating. "Don't you have work to do?"

“No, it isn’t. I was informed by one of the testers that you had two positive readings for alcohol, and prescription painkillers.” He took a second before he continued. “I’m sorry that I have to do this, Laurel. I think we should talk to Oliver.”

Her heart was thumping in her chest. She was being framed. Her drug testing must have been forged, or swapped with someone else’s results.

“Unless you have a prescription for the drugs, I think we should talk to the mayor.”

She grabbed her bag, and headed to Oliver’s office, with Chase just behind her. Adrian Chase was after her, and her job. He was ruining not just her reputation, nor her family name, but also everyone around her. Everyone associated with her.

Chase gave a sharp knock on Oliver’s door, ignoring his secretary as they entered his office. Oliver’s eyes never left hers. “Laurel?” He asked before looking at the bastard who was setting her up. “Adrian?”

“Miss Lance has tested positive for alcoholism and prescription pain relievers in her system. And I would have implored you to give her a second chance, but this is her second chance, is it not?” Adrian asked, looking at her.

When she didn’t answer, it was Oliver’s voice that brought her out of her mind. “I know her, she is clean.” The way he said it so adamantly caused her heart to ache. She couldn’t let him go out on a limb for her.

The city needed stable leadership, even if that meant that she couldn’t be next to him. “Ollie…”

“No,” Oliver said firmly, “She is remaining the District Attorney. Laurel isn’t just a great D.A. She also has contacts within our justice system. She is an invaluable member of our team!”

Chase scratched his head, “That would mean more if she wasn’t in a relationship with you, Oliver.” The bastard then had the hide to give her a look of pity. “I think we should make this public knowledge to show that we aren’t afraid of removing those that don’t fall in line, Oliver... If Laurel isn't dismissed, and it is leaked about her results, it could cripple your entire tenure as mayor."

She looked at Oliver, he tapped the table, not looking at her. Laurel could see that his jaw was clenched, there was no way out, she realized. Before she could tell Oliver to not fall on his sword for her, he looked into her eyes. No words were needed. They were on the same wavelength. His eyes were sending her an apology. 

“No.” He said clearly. “No. If Laurel is to step down, she will do it privately. She will leave with her head held high, after all, she has spent her entire career protecting our city.” He then looked at Chase. Oliver's eyes hardened. “You can leave now, I need to speak to Laurel.” He said through gritted teeth.

As soon as the door was shut, she felt Oliver’s arms wrap around her and felt him peck her crown. “I’m sorry, Pretty Bird.”

She swallowed, “Aren’t you happy that said no to marrying you when I did? It would have destroyed your reputation being engaged to an addict. Once an addict, always an addict” Laurel began to sob into the crook of his neck.

Oliver gently shushed her, his fingers moving through her hair, “I could never be ashamed of you, Pretty Bird. And I still want to marry you when you are ready.” Laurel pulled back, cupping his cheek, and gave Ollie the best smile she could manage before she walked out the door.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

He could hear Thea and Walter calling after Laurel as she went to pack up her belongings, or left the building. He slumped into his chair and heard it groan beneath him. Laurel said that Adrian Chase was an alias. Perhaps he was a long lost son of Ra’s or Darhk? It was plausible, both men had lived long lives, and the records of such a child, who also lived such a long life would also be a ghost.

“What’s wrong with Laurel?” Thea asked, without being invited in.

“She tested positive for alcohol and drugs.”

“That’s bullshit!” Thea growled, her face turning into a scowl. 

Oliver looked between Walter and Thea. “I know that Laurel is clean, but I had to let her go. Chase forced my hand.” He then looked at Walter. “What do you think I should do?” He sounded like a child asking for wisdom from a father figure. 

“Miss Lance is quite resilient. What was it you were forced to do?"

“I let her step down, not that it meant much. But at least her reputation won’t be hurt by Chase’s machinations.” He then tapped the desk again and looked at Thea.

“I’ll go speak to her.” Thea offered, as she started to move to the door.

“No. I will.” Oliver said, standing up. “Can you two cover for me?”

Walter simply gave him a small nod, “Family is more important than business. Go to your girlfriend, Oliver, she needs you right now more than the city.”

Oliver walked out, only for Chase to call out for him as he headed out. “Oliver!” Oliver curled his fist and glared at the man that had just derailed Laurel’s life.

“What?” He asked, not even attempting to keep the venom from his voice.

“I know that I advocated for Laurel being fired, and publicly. I regret that you were put in a hard position, especially since she is  _ your  _ girlfriend. I know  _ you  _ feel bad about all of this. And if you or Laurel need anything, just give me a call, and I’ll be there.” Chase extended his hand out for Oliver to shake.

Oliver didn’t reciprocate. “Is that all?”

“No. I just want to tell you that I intend to create a hard-line approach to vigilantism and crime compared to my predecessors. I won’t let our citizens believe that their government and justice system has gotten  _ soft _ .”

Oliver clenched his fist, he really wanted to punch the snide prick in the face. There would be no doubt in Oliver’s mind that he would have deserved it. 

Laurel though wouldn't want both of their careers to go down the drain. Starling had lost their best District Attorney in decades, perhaps the best District Attorney the city had ever seen to Chase. They wouldn't lose their mayor. Oliver instead turned back, got on his motorcycle, and left City Hall. He tried to see if Laurel was at their base, but found no one. He even looked where her father was laid to rest, and then to FEAST. 

She had disappeared. 

She was in the wind. 

His stomach churned. 

It wasn’t until he walked into his apartment, that he saw Laurel, only he couldn't feel relaxed. The love of his life was standing at the counter with a bottle of vodka, the seal hadn’t been broken. He sat next to Laurel, not saying anything. Her thumb tapped the side of the bottle.

“I know I shouldn’t.” She finally whispered. “I would be putting years of sobriety down the drain, I would be disrespecting my Dad’s memory, and what about you, Ollie? You took up sobriety with me. I don’t know what I am if I’m not a lawyer.”

“You are Dinah Laurel Lance, the strongest woman I have ever known.” He said as he tucked a tendril of her hair behind her ear. "You are the Black Canary, and the love of my life." He could just see her face in the darkroom, her eyes remained glued to the bottle. “I told you before, Laurel. You are the love of my life, and I’m done running away from you. It’s you and I, always and forever. And your Dad would be worried about you, so am I. But we would never think less of you for being tempted after what happened.

Laurel tapped the bottle once more before she cracked open the bottle. After a long few seconds, she poured the liquid into the sink, and down the drain. Laurel's normally vibrant green eyes were red, and her cheeks tearstained. “Can I stay?” She whimpered, into his chest. Oliver, instead of answering, wrapped her up in his arms and carried her to the sofa. He didn’t know how long they laid together in the darkness.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Laurel woke up, feeling Oliver’s breathing beneath her. She turned her head to see that Oliver was sleeping soundly. Laurel kissed him before she got up. She quietly changed and headed towards The Bunker.

The elevator doors opened, she saw Curtis doing some late-night repairs on one of the computers. He poked his head out from the desk. “I heard about… I’m sorry that you lost your job because Adrian Chase made you look like you had a relapse.”

Laurel brushed her fingers through her hair. “I am heading out tonight.”

Curtis fumbled to his feet, “You are not going to visit Chase as Black Canary are you?” He asked as Laurel walked past him. “Laurel, Just because Chase isn’t a violent criminal, doesn't mean he can't hurt you, or the rest of us. We know he is extremely cut-throat. It’s a bad idea. He could use that against you!”

“So you won’t run comms?” Laurel gave a half-nod. “It’s better that way. I think it may be better for you to clear out of here, by the time I’m changed so Ollie and the others won’t pin anything on you.”

“You remember when Barry was going to sacrifice himself? You said he wasn’t alone, and while I may not be a fighter, I’ll help you in any way that I can, because we are a team. A family.”

Laurel smiled at him gratefully, “Thank you.” She said, before grabbing her suit and equipment and leaving for the changing rooms. After she donned her suit, she swung a leg over her bike and sped out and towards City Hall to see if Chase was having a late night at the office.

She parked her bike several blocks away from City Hall and entered through a skylight, after jimmying it open. She landed quietly and snuck through the building as she made it to the final hallway where Chase would be. The Black Canary peeked around the corner to watch the security guard head away from the D.A.’s offices.

Black Canary slowly twisted the doorknob and entered the bullpen. She noticed a small desk-lamp illuminated in her--His office. Laurel opened the door to see Chase sitting at her desk with an amused smirk. She would wipe that smirk off of his face.

“Adrian Chase, I’m the justice you can’t run from!” She said through her modulator.

Chase nonchalantly rose from his seat. “I'm disappointed.” He said with a small shake of his head. “’ I was expecting you to bring your boyfriend or maybe he would command you to stay away while he dealt with me."

“I’m my own person.”

Chase vaulted over his desk, with a letter opener in his hand, and lunged for her, as soon as his feet hit the ground. Black Canary moved backwards and quickly used her baton to knock the letter opener from his hands.

Chase seemed amused by it, but he then grabbed the lamp and lobbed it towards her as she ducked. Black Canary then received a hard kick in the stomach before he flipped backwards as she retaliated. Black Canary blinked, he wasn’t just a criminal and a corrupt man within the Justice System of Starling, but he seemed to have League training. She had seen the same sort of evasion from Nyssa.

Chase jumped back in with such efficiency and speed that she barely had any time to block his kicks and punches, before she was sent to the ground, her baton falling to the wayside. Chase turned her on her back, and smirked, holding the baton above her. He slammed the weapon down towards her face. Black Canary managed to block each blow with her forearms, but it didn't stop the pain. 

SCREEEEEEEE

Chase was sent against the table. His hand moved to the back of his hand. His fingers had a light coating of blood over them. “Seems that you are more than what you seem, Miss Lance.”

Laurel’s eyes widened, and that was enough time for Chase to kick her in the head, and kicked her in the side several times. Laurel’s fingers danced over the carpeted floor, to feel not her baton, but the small metallic letter opener, she gripped it with her fingers and slashed it across, slicing open Chase’s cheek, she stumbled out of the building, hearing Chase hiss from his wound.

“Terrific...” Laurel called for her friend as she stumbled through the alleyways. The Black Canary fell on the hard concrete and spat out some blood. “I need help,” she groaned. Laurel's vision started to darken and she didn't hear her friend's voice.


	12. Ten Steps Ahead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not really happy with this chapter, it feels a bit rushed. If I didn't post it today, I wouldn't be posting this chapter for a while. I hope that you enjoy it regardless of its issues.

Speedy and Arsenal looked around City Hall before they moved around the backstreets until they found their friend. Speedy crouched down and took her pulse, before sighing in relief. Her best friend was alive, just passed out from the beating she took.

She looked around as Arsenal cleared the area in case someone was watching, or if it was a trap. Speedy checked for any wounds on Laurel and found a throwing star lodged in her shoulder. Thea helped Laurel to her feet and took her into the van, so they could treat her in The Bunker.

Once they had arrived, Thea took out the throwing star and started stitching her back up. “Do we know who did this?”

Curtis nodded, looking sheepish, “I have a good idea who it was. Adrian Chase.”

Thea looked down at her friend. Laurel seemed to know or feel something was off with Chase before any of them. “Why didn’t she call for back up?”

“I don’t know. Maybe she wanted to protect us?”

It wasn’t long until Roy looked at his watch. “I should probably tell Oliver, and considering this is Laurel, it needs to be said face to face.”

Thea only nodded, as she sat beside her friend, holding her hand .

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Roy walked through City Hall and stopped as he was about to head down the hallway to Oliver’s office. He turned as he heard his name being called, and slowed, only to turn to see a man showing his badge, and gestured that they walk together. “My name is Mack Morgan, I’m a lieutenant in the SCPD.”

“And you are telling me this because?”

“You were allied to The Hood. Or at least were in contact with him.” Roy turned to look at him, only to see the bald man raise his hands. “I’m not here to arrest you or inquire about him. I can’t do the former without jeopardizing my career, thanks to your pardon.” Morgan looked around and lowered his voice. “Hypothetically, would The Hood have anyone who is within the Justice Department?”

Roy’s brows furrowed. “Hypothetically?” Roy echoed. “The Hood didn’t have people in places of power, he may have branched out to people, or them to him, but it was never corruption.”

Morgan didn’t say anything for a long moment, “There is someone trying to make a statement within the SCPD or Justice department about The Hood, or The Green Arrow. If hypothetically you have connections to him, or his allies tell them that the ACI will stand behind them to protect our city, regardless of the political climate. And this will be a one-time thing until this throwing star killer is caught, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Roy nodded but said nothing as he neared Oliver’s office, he heard Morgan walk the opposite way. It was strange, from what he was told, Mack Morgan was against vigilantism, apparently, Morgan hated the insidious nature of corruption more.

Roy knocked and entered the room to see Oliver looking out of the window, towards The Glades. Not that he could see that part of the city from where he stood. “Oliver. Laurel was hurt last night.”

His friend and mentor paled, it was as if all the blood from his face had drained from his face. “Is she…”

“We found her,” Roy said quickly. “She’s alright, just bruised and beat up.”

“I thought she went for a walk to clear her mind last night. I didn’t expect…” Olver closed his eyes shut as tight as he could by the looks of it. Roy cleared his throat, he had to stop Oliver from blaming himself.

“Oliver, Laurel is alright. She was bruised and has a possible slight concussion, but she should be fine now.” Oliver exhaled and started to pick up a few of his briefs before he moved to grab his coat. “Where is she!?”

“The Bunker. The Backup base didn’t have the supplies yet,” Roy explained, “But Oliver, Adrian was the person who did this to her.”

“Adrian?” Oliver repeated.

“Yeah, we found a throwing star it was caught in her suit. If she had been wearing her old suit… “ Thea paused, and Oliver knew why he was the throwing star killer. The man who killed Church. Lieutenant Morgan also has an inkling that someone within the justice department is working with The Throwing Star Killer.”

Oliver snarled before he left, slamming the door behind him.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver rushed down to The Bunker, with Roy on his heels. As soon as the elevator doors opened Oliver rushed to the sleeping quarters to see Thea sitting next to the love of his life. “Laurel?”

Laurel’s eyes blinked a few times before she looked at him, he instantly felt lighter seeing her alive, and awake. He looked over at his sister, “Can I speak to Laurel?” Thea gave a hesitant look between them before she left.

Oliver sat down next to her and rubbed her leg soothingly. “You could have asked me to come with you. I would have helped you.”

Laurel licked her lips, Oliver moved towards her and offered her a sip of water. “My reputation is practically gone. I didn’t want you to come down with me. I couldn’t do that to you, to any of you.” She said looking from Oliver to the door, which led to the others.

“I don’t care about any of that. I love you, Laurel. I’m with you no matter what, regardless of what happens. You and I, always and forever.”

“I love you too.”Laurel gave him a sad smile, she nudged her head against his hand and gave him a small kiss. “He’s been playing with us, Chase, I mean. He said that he expected you to be with me.” Oliver sat in the chair Thea had vacated, only to see Laurel quirk her brow at him.

“I’m working from home today.” He then turned on his phone and sent a text to Walter to inform him of what happened, and that, he would be working from home.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Thea walked out of the room that Laurel was resting in. She hoped that Ollie and Laurel wouldn’t argue about her going lone-wolf. Laurel needed to rest. Thea looked over at Curtis who was analyzing the throwing star that had been used on Laurel.

“Do you have anything on that yet?”

Curtis shook his head, “Not yet. But we will, I’m certain of that. And if Chase was the one who hurt Laurel, we should give him hell for hurting one of our own.” Especially her sister-in-all-but-name. Thea nodded in agreement. Before they could continue their conversation, a small alarm sounded, Curtis, kicked out from his chair and rolled to another computer. “Looks like Jeremy Tell has returned to Star City, he’s just stolen money from an armored van that deals with cash-in-transit. “

Thea bit her cheek, looking back to the room where Ollie and Laurel were, and back to Roy. “We will deal with him,” Roy smirked, and headed towards the change rooms.

They followed Curtis’ directions to see Tell standing in a warehouse. “I just couldn’t resist having another round with Starling City’s Finest.” The man said mockingly. “I see that you didn’t bring Mama and Papa.”

“They don’t need to worry about you,” Speedy said, as she and Roy bow drew their bows, and loosed at the same time. Double Down peeled off cards from his tattoos and threw them knocking down their arrows in flight.

Out of the corner of Thea’s eye she watched as Arsenal winked at her playfully, before he clipped his bow to his back before he pulled out his nunchucks and moved in, not letting Tell retaliate with his tattoos.

Thea did the same, and unsheathed her sword, and began the melee. She swung high, while Roy attacked low, it was like a synchronized dance between the two of them, that was until Roy tackled her to the ground, and behind some crates.

“SCPD, don’t move!”

Thea panted, as Roy was on top of her. “Remember this?” Thea asked with a raised brow. Her innuendo forced a small chuckle from Roy. They heard a concussive grenade explode before they looked up to see Doubled Down running. They raced in front of him, only to hear a gunshot.

Thea’s eyes widened, as Jeremy Tell was shot dead in front of her. She turned to see Roy nursing his arm, and it was at that moment she noticed the blood. Thea wrapped his good arm around her neck and took him out a side entrance, and she dropped a smoke bomb-arrow.

She jumped on the front of the bike and felt his arm wrap around her. They sped down several streets to avoid a tail before they headed back to their base. As they traveled down the road, her bike skidded off, after a loud popping sound.

She rolled off the bike, looking over at Roy who was several yards away. She watched as a masked man wearing a sinister-looking version of her brother’s suit stand above Roy with a sword. Before Thea could react, the man raised his sword and cleaved off Roy’s arm. Her stomach churned. Speedy moved towards him, with her sword, the man easily deflected each of her attacks. “Tell the Green Arrow that no one is safe from Prometheus.” He then easily disarmed her and kicked her. By the time she got up, he was gone. Thea rolled her bike into the alley and opened the seating compartment.

Roy’s skin had turned almost ghost-white and he had started shivering. Thea managed to give him the most reassuring smile that she could manage, “You… You will be fine, Roy. I promise.” Her words sounded eerily similar to Ollie’s words of comfort to Laurel when she was stabbed. There was so much blood everywhere. She felt cold, but she had to keep Roy alive and awake. 

She grabbed a tourniquet from the first aid kit and thanked god that Digg had taught her and Thea how to use it. She tightened it just below his shoulder and applied a dressing on top of his wound.

She helped him on the bike, and sped towards the bunker, she would bring his bike back later, right now, all that mattered was that Roy was safe. “Roy talk to me!?”

“This had to happen after The Legends had left.” He gave a small snigger. Thea shook her head but kept her eyes on the road, and occasionally looked over her shoulder at Roy. Once they made it into the bunker, she helped Roy to sit down, “Someone help!”

“Jesus!” Curtis swore as he helped Roy to a gurney, “Oliver!” He shouted. Laurel!” Both walked out, though Laurel looked bruised and limped somewhat.

Oliver ran towards Roy, while Laurel and Curtis were already on the phone. She could barely make out what Curtis was saying apart from mentioning Diggle, while Laurel was talking to someone else.

“He will be right, Speedy,” Laurel said, hugging her. Thea hadn’t even noticed that Curtis had finished on the phone. “We need you now, a breach from here to ARGUS! Roy needs medical attention now!” Laurel commanded into the phone. 

A blue-white portal opened up, and Cisco started wheeling Roy towards it, mentioning that he would take him to ARGUS, as Diggle had instructed. Thea followed numbly into the breach, only to see John and Lyla next to her as an older woman with grey hair started assessing Roy.

“He will be alright, Thea.” Her friend said, “Doctor Leslie Thompkins is the best trauma surgeon we have.”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver paced the length of the command center, he couldn't let Adrian Chase hurt the people he loves. Laurel was injured, and her career was now in flux due to her being forced to step down. He snatched his gear, got changed, and then marched towards his motorcycle. Curtis had already left to fetch Roy’s bike, he was going to confront Chase. Roy’s life may be at an end because of him. If Roy dies, so will Chase.

“Ollie, where are you going?”

Oliver didn’t look back towards Laurel as he got on his bike. Just looking at her might be enough to sway him from doing this. “I’m going to confront the bastard who severed Roy’s arm and hurt you.”

Before he could even hear Laurel’s retort, he head sped out into the night heading towards City Hall. If Chase needed an alibi he would remain close to the city, doctoring the CCTV footage would be the perfect plan.

Oliver turned off the ignition and waited in the shadows for Chase since his car was still in the parking garage. He stood as still as humanly possible for several minutes until the lights all turned off, and Prometheus stood there.

Without missing a beat, Oliver fired an arrow and watched as Chase caught it mid-flight. Oliver’s eyes widened. The man had league training. “So who was the straw that broke the camel’s back Laurel or Roy?” Prometheus ripped off his mask, revealing Chase, who had stitches from his lip to his ear. “You think that attacking me here will stop what’s coming?” Chase sniggered. “No. No, no Oliver, this isn’t the end, this is only the beginning.”

“I’ll stop you from hurting others.”

“No, you see everyone you love is in my sights. No one is off-limits.” Chase took a step towards him. “You don’t even know why I’m doing this do you?” Chase chuckled manically. “I’m ten-steps ahead, and you don’t even know what game we are playing yet.” He gave Oliver an amused smirk. “And before you do something stupid, you out me, and I will return the favor. You, your sister, her boyfriend, Curtis, Barry, and your precious Laurel. You kill me, my assassin friends will kill yours.” Chase threw a smoke bomb. “The ball is in your court,  _ Ollie _ . I can’t wait to see your next move!” When the smoke had dissipated, Chase had disappeared.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver lay awake in his bed, with Laurel resting her head on his chest and legs entangled with his. He couldn’t sleep knowing that Adrian Chase was manipulating events to suit his objectives. Perhaps they could bring his plans to a grinding halt even for a second, and they may be able to catch up to him. Even out the playing field.

“Ollie? Roy will be alright, he’s strong.” Laurel mumbled, before kissing his chest and raising herself up in the bed.

“Roy will live, I’m sure of that. I’m thinking about Adrian.” He said as he played with Laurel’s hair idly. “Chase is after us for something, and it involves The Hood. His suit Laurel, it was basically a different version of the suit I wore when I came back home, only he had an entire face mask.”

“What do you want to do now?” Laurel asked. “He definitely had League training. Maybe he is a son of Ra’s or Darhk that we didn’t know about?”

Oliver hummed and lightly traced the muscle definition along her arm before his fingers worked their way to the scar on her chest. He squeezed his eyes shut, ignoring the memories of seeing Laurel bleeding out in his arms, her labored breaths. Laurel seemed to know what he was thinking, she kissed his cheek and whispered that she was alright.

Her bruises and cuts from her fight had told him otherwise, but he didn’t voice those concerns. He knew that Laurel wouldn’t let her wounds keep her down. Laurel always managed to get back up. She was beautiful, she was resilient.

“I’ll call Nyssa in the morning. She would know about Ra’s at the very least. I don’t think that Darhk had another child, for all of his issues he was a family man, he would have spoken about his children rather than his Child or daughter.”

“And what do we do about Chase as the D.A.?” Laurel asked. Oliver knew that she wasn’t referring to her job, or lack-thereof she was worried about who he would prosecute. He had a zero-tolerance plan in place regarding crime, including vigilantism.

“For the short-term? Keep him as the D.A. At least we can know what he is up to during business hours.”

What Starling would need was someone who would fight for them in the court-room or in a police interrogation room. They needed CNRI back, and he had just the canary to lead the CNRI, and she was laying beside him, helping him protect their city and their family.

“How would you feel about becoming the director of the resurrected City Necessary Resources Initiative? I’ll bankroll the start of this project until we can find backers.”

“I can’t ask you to use what is left of your inheritance on me. I won’t take your money, Ollie.”

Oliver shook his head and smiled before he kissed her. “Alright, not my money.” He conceded. “I will, however, donate my old campaign office to CNRI. Helping the city is important, and I want you to start helping the city as soon as it’s humanly possible.


	13. We See You

Oliver had just finished making breakfast when Laurel padded out from the bathroom, she had already changed into her clothes, though her hair was slightly damp. She poured the coffee as he put a couple of pancakes on her plate.

“I was thinking…” Oliver said, looking up from his food to see Laurel start chewing, her eyes moving up from her plate to his eyes. “Since you have basically been living here, and with Roy practically living in your apartment with Thea... I was wondering if you may want to move in here with me?”

Laurel gave a small nod, and covered her mouth with her hand, as she spoke, “You want me to move in with you? Didn’t the past few weeks show you that people like Chase will use me to hurt you?”

“I understand your reservation, but Laurel, we shouldn’t let people like Chase, Merlyn, or Darhk dictate our lives. I love you, and I know you love me.”

Laurel gave him a small smile, and her gorgeous green eyes glistened. “Alright.” She smiled, her fingers now laced in between his fingers. “We can start packing up the rest of my stuff in the next couple of days.”

Oliver leaned forward to capture her lips before they finished eating and got ready for their press conference at City Hall.

They walked into Oliver’s office to see Chase sitting in his chair, Chase swiveled the chair to look at them. “What’s wrong, guys? It looks like someone has just awoken you from a dream world where you were the saviors of Starling. He said with a small smirk. He rose to his feet, “I really consider it an honor that the mayor of Star City has elected me as his D.A. and the successor to his girlfriend. I’ll do my best to help you.”

Oliver took a step towards Adrian, despite knowing that the man was goading him, but stopped when he felt Laurel’s hand squeeze his. He then heard Laurel speak, though her tone was filled with venom. “What happened to your face, Adrian?” In his anger, Oliver hadn't noticed the large angry wound with stitches down his cheek. He felt pride for Laurel, that she had marred the bastard's face so badly. She gave as good as she got, apparently. 

Chase’s face tightened. He looked at her with an irritated glance before looking up at the camera that Oliver had recently installed, before he looked back at Laurel, then to him. A small smile spread upwards. 

“Almost had me.” He said under his breath. “However...” He drawled. “I noticed the camera as soon as I came in. Nice try.” He whispered again. His voice then took on its normal volume. “I was attacked by a self-righteous protester. No charges have to be laid, we both have an understanding of who we both are now. And where the power balance lies.”

“Goodbye, Chase,” Oliver said coldly, standing between the smirking District Attorney and the love of his life. Oliver held his ground, not taking his eyes off Chase until the man left the room.

Oliver’s shoulders sagged before he gave her hand a squeeze. The pair left his office, they walked to his press conference room to see Walter. "How are Thea and Roy?” Walter asked as he handed Oliver his speech notes. 

“Roy is recovering,” Laurel answered softly.

“Send him my thoughts and prayers for a speedy recovery,” Walter then cleared his throat. “I am very proud that you have not allowed Chase to keep you down, Laurel. You always seem to bounce back. That applies to you as well, Oliver. I know for a fact that your partnership and tenacity inspire those around you and those in the city.”

“Thank you.,” Laurel responded with a wry smile before Oliver kissed her cheek and stood upon the dais.

Chase on his left, and Walter on his right. “Good morning. A week or so ago, my District Attorney, Dinah Laurel Lance, stepped down from her role. Acting District Attorney Chase has been taking up her mantle, and has done more than what is expected of him.” The words felt bitter on his tongue. “I do not doubt that the Mayor’s office, The D.A.’s office, and the rest of the city will remain a close-knit group with the same ambition to rebuild our city from the ashes.”

Oliver then turned and shook Chase’s hand. “I’ll promise you that this is just the beginning, Ollie.”

Oliver resisted a scowl and plastered on a fake smile, and lowered his voice so that no one else could hear him. “I will stop you, and you will pay for what you have done. You can’t outrun justice.” He then patted Chase’s shoulder, in a friendly manner before stepping back to look at the crowd.

Walter stepped up, “Any questions for Mayor Queen, or District Attorney Chase?”

A hand raised, “What are your plans for the city, Mr. Chase?”

Chase stepped forward, with a smug smile, “I aim to have a harder approach on crime, all crime. I plan on pulling out the weeds by root and stem. Together, with your help, we can make Starling a safer place to call home.”

Walter then selected another reporter, “Why did Miss Lance step down, is it due to your relationship that you have been hiding?”

Oliver swallowed, not looking at Laurel. “While Laurel and I are in a relationship, her decision to step down was not due to that. She decided that the people of this city and The Glades needed help that the government could not help with. Legal Counsel. Laurel Lance, has decided to reconstitute CNRI, which I’m sure many of you were aware of five years ago before it was destroyed in the Undertaking.”

“So she didn’t step down due to the rumors of her apparent addiction?” Another asked.

Oliver shook his head, resisting the urge to punch Chase in the jaw, before skewering him with an arrow. “No.” Oliver then held out a piece of paper. “Laurel shared this document with me from a doctor that showed me that they were false-positive results. Laurel was not dismissed nor forced to resign, she simply has other ambitions to help our city. Laurel desires a more hands-on approach to helping the people of our city." No one needed to know that the apparent document in his hand was an interdepartmental memo. 

Oliver watched as the crowd applauded. He gestured for Laurel to stand next to him as he wrapped his arm around her waist. He and Laurel looked over at the sea of people clapping, Laurel was slightly blushing at the praise for deciding to put the people first. He turned his head to see Chase scowling before he walked off the dais and left the room. 

In truth, Oliver was just glad that no one had asked Chase about how he acquired his facial wound. 

Oliver stepped down and watched as Laurel and Walter moved towards Ted Grant and a few other notable members from FEAST. Oliver walked through the hallways to his office to see Chase there. “You know, Oliver. You just poked the dragon, and this is so much bigger than you realize. You aren't looking at the big picture.” Chase said with upturned lips.

Oliver took a step towards him, “What do you want?” Oliver asked in a low growl.

“You see, Malcolm Merlyn, Slade Wilson, Ra’s Al Ghul, and Damien Darhk, they all showed me how to defeat you. And it’s not by defeating you in the conventional sense. That's why they failed. You have to break the man.” He chuckled, “Oliver Queen is a family man first and foremost, then he is the guardian of Star City. Take that away, and you will be begging me to end it all. And only once your entire world is ashes, will I slowly end your suffering”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Roy flexed his new arm, but it didn’t feel natural. He sniffed and looked around the room to see Thea sleeping on the seat next to his bed. He groaned as he put his weight against his new arm. It felt weird as if his arm was numb. He could control the fingers, but it wasn’t his arm, it didn’t feel natural.

An older woman with gray hair walked in, “Mr. Harper, how are you?”

“Strange. This arm doesn’t feel right.” He said softly, taking a glance towards Thea. She hadn’t left his side since he lost the arm. Thea had remained strong and saved his life. She never faltered.

“My name is Doctor Leslie Thompkins. You have some very persistent and resourceful friends Mr. Harper.” Her blue-grey eyes moved to Thea. “She never left the waiting room during your surgery, even when Director Michaels tried to get her to go home. She’s a keeper.”

Roy found himself smiling, looking back at Thea. They weren’t ready for marriage, or an engagement, but he could see it in the future. “Yeah. Yeah, she is.” He then rose out of bed. “I am ready to get used to this arm. The bastard who did this needs to pay.”

“We will get there, we will have some exercises to allow you to get used to the metal arm, then some counseling, and then Agent Diggle will take you to the range to test your archery skills. After that, you will go to the gym to test your fighting skills. It should all be in your brain, we just need your new arm to learn these. It shouldn’t take long.”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Laurel walked out of the elevator to see that Curtis was currently out. She sighed, and moved towards the computers, and brought up people who have been reported missing in the last five years. Laurel assumed it was worth hedging her bets that Chase's real name would be found on the list, specifically men who had disappeared within the last five years. 

If Laurel could provide evidence that Chase wasn’t who he says he was, she could get his wife away from him, assuming that she wasn’t complicit with his conspiracies and crimes.

She sighed and rolled her eyes when there were over five hundred or more missing persons or people who have seemingly had their life on perpetual halt. Laurel brushed her hair away from her face with her fingers and stared at the screen. It wasn’t until almost a half-hour of just looking through several dossiers on people that may fit Chase’s description, but nothing came up, did she hear Curtis.

“I hear congratulations are in order. Being the future Director of CNRI, may not pay as well as the District Attorney, but it is no less noble. Paul said that despite the situation that you were forced into, CNRI is something just as important for the city. ” Laurel swiveled on the chair, to see her friend smiling proudly at her. As much as she kind of missed Felicity, she was grateful that Curtis didn’t seem as territorial about the command center and the computers. Curtis was more of a roll with the punches, kind of a guy. “What are you working on?” He asked, coming to her side, his hand resting on the back of the chair.

“A few months ago, I looked up Adrian Chase’s record. He didn’t exist until recently. When I told Ollie about everything, someone had changed the system to make me look like a liar.”

Curtis whistled, “Alright, mind if I can have a look to see if we can catch this slippery bastard.” He then playfully nudged her chair to the side and brought another to sit beside her. His fingers nimbly danced on the keyboard, bringing up several windows, before typing into a different database. “

“I think we can easily remove Bruce Wayne from the list,” Laurel said, pointing at the name. “Unless he has somehow managed to have flawless plastic surgery to look like Chase. Neither Ollie nor I have ever met him.”

“ True enough, I can’t imagine too many billionaires becoming vigilantes. I can’t exactly picture Bruce Wayne, nor Ted Kord being vigilantes. Oliver and Ray Palmer seem to be the exception to the rule.”Curtis hesitated for a moment. “Maybe Barry too, is he considered a billionaire due to owning Star Labs?” He shrugged before clicking the button to remove Bruce Wayne from the list.

“According to this, “He said, opening a dossier. “This man was involved in an ARGUS mission with Oliver.” He continued to type. “Nah it can't be him, according to ARGUS sources, the man disappeared a few months afterwards in Death Valley." I think we can exclude this, Hal Jordan. He probably died from lack of water or the heat.”

“Kent Nelson.” Laurel read the next name out loud, “I’m not sure he would fit. He has been in Egypt for too long, and went missing over there on an excavation dig.” Curtis eliminated the man from the list. She could feel Chase’s real name getting closer to the light, she and Curtis were dragging him into the light for what he did to Roy.

“What about Vincent Sobel? He was an SCPD officer in The Glades. He lost his wife and children in the Undertaking.” Laurel said, reading his details. “Maybe he blames Ollie and the rest of us for Malcolm Merlyn? Maybe he believed that The Hood escalated things?” She bit the end of her pen as Curtis highlighted his name.

“What about this guy? He has a history of paranoia. His physical description doesn’t seem to exist, all we have is his age. All we know for certain is that Vic Sage disappeared not long after Oliver, John, and Felicity left to take Slade Wilson to Lian Yu. Maybe he believes, rightly, that Oliver spared someone who didn’t deserve it? Maybe Slade or his soldiers killed someone close to him, or he can’t live without Slade having a trial? It would explain why he made himself the D.A., and his anger towards Oliver, and the rest of the team.”

Laurel chewed her pen and nodded. “And last but not least, we have Simon Morrison. The illegitimate child of Justin Claybourne of Claybourne Pharmaceuticals. He was one of the guys that Joanna and I were trying to sue for damages to some of his staff.” Laurel took the pen out of her mouth and dropped it on the desk. She moved to Oliver’s safe and unlocked it, and grabbed his notebook containing the list. She flicked through it and saw the name. Justin Claybourne.

“What’s that?”

‘Ollie’s list. He would hunt down these people to ensure they would receive justice.”

Curtis nodded and looked up a few news reports. “Was known to increase prices when medicine was in demand. His medicine for curing TB rose exponentially before he was killed.” Curtis’s voice took on a different tone that made her feel uneasy. “His son, Simon Morrison, hasn’t been seen since his father was killed. He didn’t attend his own father’s funeral.”

Laurel looked at Curtis with a proud smile, “We can see you now, Simon Morrison.”

“He really went above and beyond to avenge his father.”

Laurel couldn’t blame her friend for his stunned reaction. “Find everyone who may know Simon Morrison, or was close to Justin Claybourne.” They couldn’t use this in court, Chase had ensured that his new identity was ironclad. But Laurel now had a thread that she would continue to pull until Chase’s story was exposed as a lie.

Laurel wasn’t lying to the bastard when she told him that she was the justice he couldn’t run from.

“I don’t know if I can work with Oliver, work with you, with the others.” He said suddenly. “You have always known that Oliver was a killer, and utilized that book as a hit list. The circle of violence has been spiraling around him since he returned home five years ago.”

“He isn’t the same man that returned from the island, just as he wasn’t the same person who left with my sister. He’s grown and changed, just as we all have.” Laurel took a deep breath, in an attempt to keep her voice level.

“He’s killed people, Laurel. I thought that you, as an attorney, would detest his actions.” Curtis shook his head slightly in disbelief.

“I haven’t always supported his actions as The Hood.” She said carefully. “But he has managed to get hundreds of people justice when they had fallen between the cracks, or were willingly left to the wolves.” Laurel didn’t stop looking at her friend in the eyes. “Despite how the media and Chase wanted Ollie to be seen, he was never determined to use lethal force as the only measure. I didn’t see it back then, but when I asked him to stop killing a man that had tried to kill me in Iron Heights, he stopped. Sometimes, I think even we forget that Ollie was alone for so long that he could only depend on himself to stay safe. He was a one-man army against greater odds. Sometimes the only option was to put an arrow through their chest so that he could live.”

Curtis nodded but didn’t look reassured. “I suppose that makes sense. I mean it does… Do you think that we can just leave this discussion between you and I? Or does he have to know?” Her friend looked uneasy and frightened. “ I’m actually kind of scared of him, he has that intimidating presence.”

Laurel gave him a small smile and sympathetically rubbed his arm. “I think that you should talk to him about it. Hearing his justifications from his own mouth would remove any lingering doubts.” Laurel twisted the pen in her fingers, she hoped that Curtis and Oliver would discuss it and come to a resolution. As much as she would always defend Ollie, Curtis needed to hear it from the man himself.

“I’ll talk to him when he gets back.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver stood on a rooftop waiting for her to appear, it wasn’t until he started to feel the rainfall from the skies, that he heard her footsteps in the puddles. “Oliver,” Nyssa called out his name. “What was it that was so urgent that you required me to visit your city?”

Oliver turned to face her, noticing a small scar on her neck. “My current problem. Prometheus. He possesses the skills of The League. The way he moves, the way he can catch an arrow in mid-flight. When I was in The League, as your father’s heir, he never mentioned a man by that name.”

“What is your question?” She asked without preamble.

“Do you know anyone who would train Adrian Chase? Prometheus?” Oliver asked. He knew that Nyssa still didn’t quite trust him, nor Laurel after last year. And yet, she was an invaluable asset to the team and was something close to family.

“My sister hasn’t been spotted for many years, I barely remember her as a child,” Nyssa revealed. The addition surprised Oliver since Ra’s had never mentioned her to him. “Even if she were still alive, I doubt that she would train your enemy as an act of revenge for you killing our father, they despised one another, they swore that if they ever saw one another, only one would walk away.” Nyssa walked closer, “There was another order of assassins. Their order at one point in history may have been a part of The League. The Society of Shadows. The Society of Shadows assisted The League of Assassins back during the early seventeenth century against the Crescent Order. The Orphan, David Cain, operated out of 'Eth Alth'eban, a hidden city beneath the Alay Mountains. They probably trained your nemesis.”

“Thank you, Nyssa.”

“You are very welcome, Oliver.” She then looked across the city. “If you have need of me, you have only to ask for my sword arm. The same goes for Laurel and your sister. I have had time to meditate on what occurred in the past year, and I understand your actions and Laurel’s as well. I hold no ill will to you, nor them.” Nyssa hesitated for a second. “I trust the three of you more than my own kin.”

Oliver smiled, “I appreciate that. And you are always welcome here.” He then looked up at the sky. “Sara is alright, and she was happy and healthy the last time I saw her."

Nyssa gave a smile that didn’t reach her eyes, “Then I am glad that Laurel’s efforts to bring my beloved back to the world succeeded.” She then handed Oliver a dagger. “It is a ceremonial dagger. A gesture of severing marital vows. You and your beloved deserve to be happy. Cherish it. Oliver, it is more than others receive in their lifetime.” When Oliver looked back up from the dagger, Nyssa had disappeared.

  
  



	14. Prometheus

Oliver returned from his conversation with Nyssa. Apparently, there was another secret society that they were not aware of. It also remained in obscurity, so much so, that Ra’s didn’t think it was worth mentioning to him when Ra’s was grooming him to become the heir of The League.

He walked into The Bunker to see that Curtis looked anxious, while Laurel looked slightly uncomfortable, perhaps a little defensive, judging by her crossed arms. “What’s wrong?” He asked.

Curtis looked nervously at Laurel before his eyes moved to Oliver. His friend fidgeted, “I uhh… We found out who Adrian Chase really is.”

“That’s good,” Oliver said, looking between them. “Isn’t it?”

“We know who he is, and likely why he has targeted us. Targeting you. But that is the reason why some of us are having some issues of trust.” Laurel said, her eyes glancing towards Curtis before looking back at him before she silently mouthed two words. ‘The List.’

Oliver closed his eyes, unzipped his leather jacket, and took a seat, probably Laurel’s considering it was next to the computer. He noticed Laurel give Curtis’s shoulder a small squeeze, before she moved to Oliver’s, offering him a small peck on the lips before she left The Bunker.

He waited until he heard the elevator doors close behind Laurel. “I’m not excusing what I have done. When The Gambit went down, my father had essentially made me his hitman. From that point until a year or so after I came home from those five years in hell, I was living in survival mode. Kill or be killed. For the most part, I tried not to kill them when I didn’t have to.” Oliver swallowed hard, looking back up at him. “After my best friend Tommy was killed, I swore off killing people. I have betrayed that oath only a handful of times. And every time I have, I still see Tommy’ beneath the rubble.”

“What made you decide to stop being The Dark Avenger? From what I have heard, Oliver Queen wasn’t as important to you as being The Hood. Felicity mentioned that being The Hood was your life. Which means the list was your life.”

Oliver sighed. It didn’t surprise him that Felicity had likely unknowingly put him in a negative light. “I don’t think it was a sudden epiphany that made me change. It was a sequence of events that made me want to be better. I’ve had people telling me that I was a good person from the start, even when they didn’t always know it.” Laurel had been there for him since The Gambit was destroyed. Even if she didn’t know at the time. “I think that I noticed unconsciously that the city wasn’t getting better with vigilantism, it needed more. Quentin, Laurel’s father… I had always looked up to him. If I’m ever lucky enough to raise a child with Laurel, I hope to be more like him than my father, or Malcolm.”

“Captain Lance inspired you to be more?”

Oliver nodded, slightly misty-eyed thinking about Lance. “He was always on the front lines to keep the city safe. He became the Captain of the SCPD because it was the right thing to do.” He gave Curtis a watery smile, “I would have offered him a position on my staff, or asked him to become the Commissioner if he was reinstated. I wanted to be a man that he would be proud of.” But Oliver never got to hear those words from his lips. The words he had been yearning for so many years.

“He helped inspire Laurel to help people. She in turn inspired me, and Thea.” He wiped a tear from his eye. “Barry has always been a guardian angel for his city. I wanted to be like him. And last year was an eye-opener when Laurel and I talked to Constantine’s friend. I found out just how much light was in me.”

Curtis seemed to understand what he was saying judging by the look on his face. “So it was not just the people around you, but the city, it taught you that it needed more?”

“Starling is in my blood. It’s my family. And I’m just doing my part to make it a safer place.”

Curtis gestured towards the list. “Why do you keep it with you if you don’t want it?”

“To remind me of what I have lost, how far I have come. I’m not that person, Curtis. The man that returned was hell-bent on righting my father’s wrongs. So much so that I had hurt my family and friends. Now, I’m the Mayor and I’m finally with the love of my life.”

Curtis nodded and patted Oliver’s arm. “I appreciate that you talked to me, as an equal. I was kind of scared that you would be more defensive or antagonistic.”

Oliver gave him a tentative smile and shook his hand. “We good?” Oliver asked, feeling slightly worried that his friend would decide to leave.

“Yeah, we are good, Oliver.” He then checked his watch and mentioned that he had to meet Paul at the movies in half an hour. Oliver looked up at the clock and thought that he should probably head home to Laurel as well.

“Good night, Curtis.”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver laid on the bed, one arm was being used as a pillow for Laurel, the other arm was resting on her thigh. He scooted closer to press a kiss on her neck. Oliver heard a soft moan come from her lips. He started to graze his fingers across her warm skin when Laurel turned towards him and pressed her lips to his. He could feel her heart beating next to his.

Before things could get more heated, her phone rang. “Ignore it.” He whispered between heated kisses. Only his phone started to vibrate on the bedside table, with a loud irritated groan, he watched the love of his life climb off him.

_ “Oliver,” _ Walter said tiredly.  _ “I apologize for waking you at such a late hour, but Lieutenant Mackenzie Morgan has not appeared for his shift. Officer Croydon was sent to his apartment to find Morgan's door had been kicked in. No possessions were stolen. However, a weapon was recovered…” _

Oliver turned to look at Laurel as he heard what kind of weapon was found.  _ “A throwing star. _ ” His voice lowered to almost a whisper. Oliver watched Laurel climb out of bed, grab some clothes from the closet, and walk out of the room. A few seconds later, he heard the shower run.  _ “Perhaps the Emerald Archer and his bird can assist in locating and retrieving him?” _

“We will take care of it. Thank you, Walter.

Oliver pulled on a pair of pants and a shirt as he briefly considered calling Thea, but she was currently with Roy. His friend needed someone to lean on during his time in rehab in the last few weeks. He instead grabbed his keys and followed Laurel out to his car, and drove them to the bunker to change into their work gear.

Oliver immediately sat on the chair when he heard the elevator door open, and heard Curtis. “Did I miss the call?” He asked, looking slightly nervous.

Oliver shook his head, “I was letting you spend some time with Paul.”

“I appreciate it, but no. The hubby is currently out of town. I was thinking we could look more into this Simon Morrison. Maybe I could have found out more about him.” He then watched Laurel walk out from the change stalls in her suit. “What happened tonight?”

“Mack Morgan was taken by Chase,” Laurel revealed as she clipped her baton to her hip. Oliver walked towards the stall with his gear to get ready. Once he returned he looked at her. Laurel and Curtis were at the computers. Oliver quietly grabbed her hand in his and tugged her towards him.

“Chase is been playing on our weaknesses.” He said softly. “I have an idea that may give us a small opening to stop him.”

“What’s that?”

“I need you to bring his wife to wherever we find Chase.” He said softly.

It was only a few moments later that Curtis had caught a shadowy silhouette that was more than likely Chase in his suit. He gave Laurel a kiss, which she eagerly returned. “Be careful, Pretty Bird.”

“I will. And you better be as well.” She said, raising her brow before moving towards the garage to retrieve Doris Chase.

"I think I know where you can find him." Curtis swiveled in his chair. “The same building that you killed his father.”

“I know,” Oliver said quickly. “I killed Claybourne after he swore that no matter what happened that night, he would make the call to unleash tuberculosis. I couldn’t let that happen. Especially to the thousands of people in the poorer areas of the city who wouldn't be able to afford the medical costs . So I put an arrow through his chest.”

Oliver then silently walked to the garage to head towards Morrison. It didn’t matter what his name was, it was going to end tonight.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

The Green Arrow entered the building, and slowly cased the first floor. He doubted that Chase was there, but it never hurt to prevent an ambush. He moved up to the next floor, still no Chase, nor Morgan. Oliver swore as he walked up the next set of stairs.

_ “G.A., B.C. has arrived and is slowly moving to the second floor. I spot a variety of heat signatures from the fourth and fifth floor. I would hazard a guess that most of these are decoys since their imaging doesn’t flicker. Every living person needs oxygen. They should be flickering.” _

Oliver kept moving until he reached the fifth floor. He moved out of the stairwell to see Adrian Chase. The man had been posing as a friend and a confidant while hurting his loved ones around him.

Oliver glared at the man. “Adrian. I know who you are, you don’t need that mask.”

“So Laurel finally told you.” He said with a small smile. “I was initially hoping that I could cause a division between the two of you. Just as Slade Wilson and Sebastian Blood did. It doesn’t matter. There's a certain kind of honesty to it. You and I, here in the same building that you killed my father.”

“Oliver,” Terrific called his name. “Justin Claybourne was prepared to disinherit Chase. According to an affidavit, he said and I quote: _“‘My bastard son is a psychopath.’_ _I’m not sure how that can help you, but anything to unsettle him will help, right?”_ Oliver resisted a smirk and didn’t answer. Curtis was learning though, and he was learning fast. “ _By the way, Laurel is in the elevator with Doris Chase. ETA a minute.”_

“I don’t think you expected me here, Simon Morrison,” Oliver said coldly.

“No?” Chase mocked, tilting his head to the side. His wound had started to, leaving a scarred face. “I gave you all the bread crumbs that lead to us being here!”

“Then why did you not see this coming?” Oliver asked as the doors opened to reveal Laurel walking Adrian’s wife out of the elevator. The man’s face didn’t take on a softer appearance, instead, he looked defensive.

“You killed all of those people, Adrian,” Doris said through her tears. “You killed them!” Oliver kept his eye on Chase, but in his peripheral vision, he could see Laurel holding Mrs. Chase back from her husband.

“It’s not that simple, Dorrie,” Chase whispered, looking only at his wife.

“It’s that simple. You killed them. You killed police officers, Adrian. Cops!”

Oliver gestured to Laurel to let the woman go to her husband, Chase’s body relaxed, he was no longer tense. Doris moved towards him, cupping Chase’s cheeks with both of her hands, and standing on her toes to stand eye to eye with him. “That’s not you, baby. We will get you the help you need. We will live happily somewhere far away from this city.”

He heard a small whimper coming from Chase before Doris went completely limp in her husband’s arms. A few seconds later, Chase dropped her limp body to the floor, as if she were nothing to him. Chase glared at Oliver with teary eyes.  “Why did you bring her here!?” Chase shook his head, “You thought that she would stop me from my crusade against you. Nothing and no one will stop that from happening.” He then gave a sick smile. “You think that sentimentality will stop what I have installed for you?” He raised his blade.

SCREEEEEEE

Oliver sprang into action and moved towards Chase, dodging his hits, while Laurel tended to Doris. Chase dropped his sword to the side, and Oliver did the same with his bow. Oliver ducked under a kick, before grabbing his foe’s arm and throwing him over his shoulder and into the shelving unit.

Chase wrapped his leg around Oliver’s neck allowing him to start pummeling Oliver in the face. All Oliver could do was attempt to block every blow. One hit collided with his mouth in reatliation, Oliver spat his blood into Chase’s face before he had time to strike again.

Not even a second later, he heard a thud. Laurel had swung her baton and it must have hit the man’s liver. Chase dropped to his knees for a second, before throwing several throwing stars at Laurel.

Oliver tackled Chase, and together they fell through the floor. Oliver coughed as he slowly got to his feet the landing had ripped the air from his lungs. Oliver watched as Chase gave him a sinister smirk, before diving out of the closest window, breaking the glass, and landing on the floor below.

Oliver dived out of the window, following the man. The office space was filled with mirrors. Oliver steadied his breathing as he stalked silently through the large room.

“You have made this quite easy for me to stay ahead of you, Oliver Queen,” Chase said through his modulator. “I know who you love, and who you trust. I know who your weaknesses are. Ra’s Al Ghul, Slade Wilson, and Damien Darhk. They were all on the right path but they stumbled. Why go for the archer, when you can go for his friends and family? Why attack him physically when you can play with his mind?”

Oliver walked through a small hallway to see a strand of light illuminate the corridor to see Prometheus with his bow aimed towards him. Oliver without hesitating threw a fletchette that penetrated through the man’s forearm and into his chest, pinning him against the wall.

Oliver rushed over to him to remove the masked man and ripped off his hood and mask to see not Chase, but the face of Lieutenant Mack Morgan. The man grimaced. “Adrian Chase is the throwing star killer…” The man winced, as Oliver tugged the arrow from him as gently as possible. “He just signed his death warrant. If you kill him, I’ll make sure that the brass won’t touch you.”

“I’m not a killer.”

Morgan cradled his arm, sweat dripped from his brow. “All the same. If it comes between you and him, make sure he is down, and I’ll protect you.”

_ “Oliver the room you are in is booby-trapped. The entire room lit up like a Christmas Tree.” _ He heard Terrific over the comms. 

Without thinking, Oliver shoved Morgan out of the room and into Laurel, as the door closed behind him. It wasn’t long before he felt a small nick in the back of his neck. Oliver haphazardly pulled it out to see a tranquilizer dart. His hand shook before he dropped it, and the entire room started becoming blurry. He felt his stomach churn before the darkroom went completely black.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Laurel managed to help Lieutenant Morgan towards an old desk before she returned to the steel door that had dropped. She slapped her fists against it. “Arrow!” She bellowed. She repeated it a few more times before she stepped back and took a deep breath.

SCREEEEEEEE

The metal buckled slightly, but it remained firm.

“He saved my life,” Morgan muttered. She had forgotten that he was still there. “I told your red archer friend, the male one. Arsenal, isn't it? That I would support you against Chase.” He shook his head again as he moved towards her. “I never expected Star City to be worse than Bludhaven.” He groaned.

Laurel activated her comms. “Mr. Terrific, I need an ambulance at least a few blocks from my location.”

_ “Why?” _ Her friend asked her, as Laurel moved towards the elevator, and pressed the button to the bottom floor, and the floor below theirs.

“Green Arrow is either stuck in a trap, or he’s…. been taken.” Her voice cracked, and she noticed the officer had looked at her with interest.

_ “Damn,”  _ Curtis muttered. Laurel heard more typing before he spoke to her.  _ “Tell Lieutenant Morgan that he will find an ambulance waiting for him on Neely in front of Saint Patrick’s Church. Do you need me to call Thea and Roy?” _

Laurel exhaled, “No. I’ll find him.” She then looked at Morga before the elevator descended to her floor. “An ambulance should be waiting for you in front of Saint Patrick’s on Neely Avenue.”

The Leuitenant gave a small nod and grimaced at the movement. “You have one hour before I tell them where I was held. I can’t give you any more than that.”

Laurel bit her lip. “Chase… Simon Morrison killed his wife on the fifth floor. Her body is still up there.”

“One hour, Canary.” He repeated before Laurel walked out of the lift and towards the area that Oliver was trapped in the floor above. Only, when she looked up to see that there was a hole in the ceiling. Chase used it to take Oliver and escape. 

“Terrrific, Ollie has been taken.” She brushed her hair back and paced backwards and forwards, looking around the area for some sort of clue. Ollie was taken or killed and it would have been her fault. She should have stayed with him. There was a reason that they tried to avoid going out solo. The buddy system had its purpose and she neglected it.

_ “You’re the only heat signature Laurel.” _ Her heart was beating so fast she could feel it against the wall of her chest. She had just sentenced the love of her life to death or unbearable pain. All she wanted to do right now was hold him in her arms, and ask him to propose again.

She was so stupid. She didn’t know what she had, until it was taken from her. 

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Mack signed his discharge papers and scowled as he moved towards the entrance of the hospital. The Black Canary hadn’t lied to him when she had told him where she could find medical attention. Her emotional state after watching the Green Arrow disappear in that room was not what he had expected.

Surely the media and the police force had made mentions that they were in a relationship, that they were more than business partners. But he never put much thought into it. Her reaction, though, was akin to that of a significant other losing their other half. He looked at his phone to see the time. He gave her over an hour.

Commissioner James Cameron and Captain Pike moved towards him. A small podium had been erected for them. Cameron looked over him, “You alright, son?”

Mack nodded, while Pike shook his head. “You should really have surgery for that arm.”

“Once I have watched you, make the order.” He then looked at Pike. “The building on the corner of Simone and Grell. We have at least one fatality there. And it seems that Adrian Chase… or Simon Morison, Prometheus or the Throwing Star Killer, whatever name we call him now, has seemed to have kidnapped The Green Arrow. He saved me before the Black Canary took me to safety. She left me to find her partner.”

“That’s not good,” Pike muttered before pointing at a few ACI members, Thomas Croydon and Elenor Bishop. “Assemble the task force, and head to the building on Simone and Grell. Shoot anything that moves, we can’t afford to lose more people to this killer. Consider anything that moves in that building as a hostile!”

“What about the Black Canary?” Morgan asked, looking at PIke. “She saved me.”

“Unfortunately, she may be a casualty. It has been almost an hour and a half since you last saw her. I would wager that she isn’t in the area anymore.”

They watched as Cameron took to the podium. “I apologize for getting you out of your warm beds tonight,” Cameron started. “The Throwing Star Killer has been unasked. Lieutenant Mackenzie Morgan.” The Commissioner said, gesturing to him. “The Throwing Star Killer has been identified. The man is District Attorney Adrian Chase." There were mutterings in the audience."Quietly." The Commissioner said, shushing them. "Recent investigations have revealed that he pulled the wool over our eyes and was known as Simon Morrison. The illegitimate son of the deceased Justin Claybourne.”

Morgan looked at Pike, who didn’t seem surprised. “We found your suspicions on your hard drive.” Morgan blinked, that didn’t make any sense he didn’t know Chase was Morrison until the Black Canary told him. Perhaps whoever her unseen partner, this Mr. Terrific, had hacked into his PC to help the police?

“I have ordered a shoot on sight order for Adrian Chase. The SCPD is also offering a reward of twenty thousand dollars for information on the whereabouts of Mr. Chase. Questions?”

Susan Williams raised her hand. “What does Mayor Queen say about these revelations?”

“Right now, we are currently in the process of talking to the Mayor. Who knows, perhaps Dinah Laurel Lance may become D.A. Once again. Walter Steele, the Deputy Mayor has said that City Hall will be helping the SCPD all they can.”

“How was Lueitenant Morgan found?”

“An Ambulance driver found him in front of a local church. As far as we are able to inform you, The Black Canary was involved in him escaping Mr. Chase.” Cameron then stepped down and moved towards Morgan and Pike. “Pike, I want you to lead the investigation in City Hall after you find out where Mayor Queen is.”

“Yes, sir.”

Cameron then looked at Morgan. “Get back in that hospital and have your surgery. You are no use to us until you can use that arm, and have been debriefed by someone.” The way his captain spoke sounded like a command, and yet Morgan could hear the concern in his voice. Cameron gestured his head towards the door of the hospital. “Go on.” As Morgan walked away, he heard Cameron. “Good on you, get some rest.”

All Morgan could think of was how the Black Canary was coping with her loved one being taken by a mad man. And that he couldn’t do anything to help her

  
  



	15. Truth or Consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really had trouble writing this chapter. I think one part of it was the subject matter, and the other was that I have done a handful of variations of this episode. Hopefully, despite the issues I had, it will still be somewhat enjoyable to read. Even if it is angst filled.

Chase opened the gate to the small cell that he held Oliver in, and dropped a large trough, before filling it with water, and later with ice. Oliver watched as he stirred a mixture of ice and water before Chase marched towards him, hauling him by the scruff of the neck towards the water. “It’s time you endure your trials, Oliver, tell me why you did all of this, and you can leave.”

That was too easy. 

Oliver shook his head, it would never be that easy. “Just like that?” Oliver asked.

A small sinister smirk appeared on the edge of Chase’s lips. “It will be on your own time, man. But first — ” Oliver felt Chase’s boot on the back of his neck, forcing Oliver’s head into the freezing cold water. His face stung for the first few seconds before it became numb. He tried struggling, and as he did, his lungs started to feel like they were on fire, and yet Chase still held his head down.

The trough and ice water eventually started to go dark, and it was at that moment, it felt like Oliver saw his father looking at him. He looked exactly the same as he had before everything went to hell. His father looked at him with pitying eyes, and reached out his hand, before Oliver could reciprocate, he was dragged from the water, feeling the oxygen fill his lungs once more.

“One hundred and forty-five seconds,” Chase said, moving towards a towel, and wiped his hands.”It was how long it took until my father was killed. You see, Oliver. While you claim that you are a hero. And you hear it in your little echo chamber, Laurel, Thea, Roy, Barry, and Walter all make you believe in this utopia where you are not who you are, and you have drank their Koolaid. You killed people, made them suffer. My father suffered at your hands, his aortic arch was pierced, but that didn’t kill him, did it, Oliver? No, he drowned. A slow and painful death.”

Oliver could feel his body twitch from the adrenaline. “So you decided to create an intricate way to torture me?”

Chase seemed to ignore him, as he moved towards Oliver, “I hear that you have a fondness for Ancient Greek mythology. Tell me, why would I have chosen the name; Prometheus?” He waited a few seconds before he answered his own question. “He challenged the omnipotence of the gods. You share a lot of their sins, Oliver. You share their pride. They like you, thought that they could play the judge, jury, and executioner, and no one would care, because you all were safe on Mount Olympus. Prometheus humbled them. Just as I will do the same for you.”

Oliver shook his head at the man that he had considered a friend. He would have to show Laurel how much he appreciates her. She tried to get him to have some distance between him and Chase. He should have realized that he wasn’t being zealous in his political beliefs, or a rebellious subordinate towards Laurel, he was trying to hurt them. “If you are going to torture me, Adrian. You better have something better than this.” He gestured towards the water with his head.

“Oh, I have. I was honestly hoping that Laurel was going to be in that trap room with you. I would have enjoyed hurting her to hurt you.” He gave an amused snort. “It’s not too late for me to go out and find her, I’m sure your Pretty Bird hasn’t stopped looking for you...” He checked his watch. “For the past three hours.”

“You touch a hair on laurel, and I will break every bone in your body.” Oliver snarled.

Chase’s smile was exaggerated thanks to his marred face. It made him look more sinister. More maniacal. “There he is!” He returned to his feet, towering over Oliver, “I want you to confess to me.”

“That I killed your father?” Oliver asked with a small pant. His chest still ached from the water torture.

“That’s too easy, Oliver. I want you to admit to me a secret. A secret that you have been too afraid to admit to yourself.”

Oliver’s eye twitched, “I don’t know what you are talking about, you bastard!” Oliver growled, lunging himself towards Chase, only to feel the iron restraints keeping him at bay. The restraints cut into his wrists.

Chase held his hands in the air, “Fine. You will come around eventually.” Chase once again marched towards him, grabbing the back of his head. “Just remember that while you are passed out, I could be up to anything, poor Laurel is looking around the city, probably too scared to tell your sister. And Roy is still too weak to help. Curtis couldn’t throw a punch if his life depended on it. Laurel is all alone and ripe for the taking. I owe her after what she did to my face!” Before Oliver could respond or resist, his face was slammed into the icy water once again and remained in the frigid depths until the world around him went dark.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

The Black Canary watched as Lester Buchinsky climbed into his car. The man was a small-time crook who often worked with The Bratva but had his fingers in many holes. Right as he turned on the ignition, the Black Canary jumped from her perch and landed a few feet in front of the black SUV.

She watched as Lester hit his head on the steering wheel in frustration. He knew she wanted information. He turned off the ignition, climbed back out, and slammed the door behind him in frustration.

“What is it that you want,  _ Chernaya Ptitsa _ ?” The man reeked of stale cigarette smoke and alcohol. Without warning, Laurel grabbed the large man, pinned him against the car, and held his wrist at an awkward angle.

“Prometheus. Say his name, Lester.” The Black Canary growled.

“Prometheus.”

“Say it again!” She growled pulling his wrist, making him cry out in pain.

”Prometheus. Prometheus. Freaking Prometheus!” He cried out.

“Where is he? Where is The Throwing Star Killer!?” Black Canary asked as she continued to press against his wrist that was held in the hold. She knew that the large man could feel the pain rise up and down his arm. “Prometheus, where is he?”

“How the hell am I supposed to know?” The man asked in frustration. Laurel slammed his head against the hood of the car. “You hear anything about him, a location where Adrian Chase has been spotted purchasing a damn coffee in the past few hours, you stand right here, and I’ll know that you want to talk. If I find out you knew where he was all this time, and I’ll break this wrist. Understand? If you don’t, trust I’ll know, and you won’t ever be able to hold anything in that hand.”

She had to find Oliver, and she would use every avenue she could to find him.

Laurel ran towards the shipping containers and vaulted over them, before hiding behind a large barrel to watch Lester leave.

_ “A bit violent don’t you think, Canary? _ ” Of course, her friend was keeping tabs on her, probably watching her through the CCTV footage.

Laurel snorted with irritation. “The man is double my size, Terrific. Besides, we need to do whatever we can to find Ollie, if that means that we have to intimidate some small-time thugs, I’ll do it.”

_ “What is that?” _ Curtis asked, a second before he spoke again.  _ “Laurel, Thea entered the Bunker, and she was calling after you. She looks scared and a little pissed off.”  _ Laurel squeezed her eyes shut. In trying to locate Oliver, she had forgotten to tell Thea. She deserved to know that her brother was taken.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Laurel finally arrived, to see Thea waiting for her in the garage, her arms folded. At that moment, the way Thea looked at her, reminded Laurel of Moira. “Why didn’t you tell me? He’s my brother. I deserved to know!” Her voice hadn’t raised, but Laurel could tell that her friend was hurt, and felt betrayed.

“I… I forgot to tell you, Speedy. I had to ensure that Lieutenant Morgan was safe and that he wouldn’t also be targeted. Then I had to make a final sweep of the building before the police in case…” No, Oliver was still alive, she could feel it. “I interrogated a couple of thugs to see if they had any idea where Adrian may have gone, but I came up empty.” She felt her eyes sting, and her voice trembled. “I’m so sorry Thea, I tried to save him… I wasn’t fast enough.” She didn’t know what happened next, all she felt was Thea’s arms wrap around her.

“It’s not your fault, Laurel. It’s his. And we will get my brother back, as a family.” Her sister in all but blood assured her softly into the crook of her neck.

“What about Roy?”

Thea pursed her lips for a second before she spoke. “Roy is on the mend, he is able to hold things in his arm with ease. Soon they will start with finer tactile movements with his new arm before he can move to bow and arrows.”

  
  


::-:-:-::-:-:-::

He gasped for air, only to shiver from the ice water that seemed to burn his skin. His eyes darted around, only to remember that he was a prisoner. He was stuck at the mercy of a man that he once considered a friend. It was all a lie. He got up to see Chase throwing a metal bucket across the room.

Oliver could see the pictures of the men that he had killed. People that were on his father's list. Chase didn’t mention them. The bastard didn't even mention his own father. Instead, the man just looked at him with piercing dark brown eyes that were almost black. Oliver couldn’t see any emotion in his eyes, it was as if they were completely empty of emotion. He couldn’t see anger, hatred, nor glibness for capturing and torturing the man that killed his own father.

“I need you to know something Oliver. No one is coming to find you.” He gave a humorless chuckle. “I would wager by now if Laurel hasn’t let her pride get the best of her, she, your sister, and Curtis will be running around like headless chickens, trying in vain to find their precious Oliver Queen.”

Chase walked over to the steel table and picked up something, and it was a brief second before Oliver’s eyes widened as Chase ignited the blow torch. Oliver could only smell the propane. Chase moved behind him. “I want you to know, Oliver, that no one is coming.” Oliver gritted his teeth as he felt the white-hot flame start to burn his skin. Oliver had his jaw clenched so hard he thought he was about to pass out. Chase seemed to recognize this and would burn his shoulder slowly, and stopped for a few seconds before continuing his sadistic burning. “Old enemies will not help you.”

Chase then moved in front of Oliver before slapping his face a few times. “We aren’t done yet, not by a long shot. If you pass out on me now, I’ll leave this room, and find both your sister and your lovely girlfriend and resume this but on them, instead of you. Do you really want their pain, and death on your shoulders,  _ Ollie _ ? It’s not like others who are in your orbit have died or been injured, what are another two lives?”

Oliver clenched his jaw and stared at the wall across from him, where he saw pictures he hadn’t realized were there. Tommy. Next to him was his mother and father, then Quintin. Oliver bit down harshly as the flame licked at his chest. Right, where his Bratva star was located. The one that Anatoly had given him. “Old friends will not help you.”

Oliver panted as the torch was turned off for a brief second. He closed his eyes, willing his nose to ignore the smell of his burning flesh. When he opened his eyes he saw his father standing there looking at him. He looked disappointed. Maybe Chase was right? He had hurt everyone around him, including dishonoring his father’s legacy.

His stomach tensed as he felt the heat return with a vengeance licking at his side. “I know this tattoo has a special meaning. You avenged Laurel with this tattoo. She doesn’t know the real you, does she? She sees the boy that she fawned over as a girl." After a few seconds, Chase poked his burnt side, forcing a reluctant hiss from Oliver's mouth."How does it feel? To know just how alone you really are?"

"I'm sorry for killing your father…"

"I don't care." He gave Oliver a smirk. “I have learned everything there is to know about you Oliver. We are just getting started. Unlike Malcolm, Ra’s, Slade, or Damien Darhk, I know that you are not afraid of death. You would receive it like an old friend. No, Slade, Darhk, and Ra’s had it half right. You are a family man first. Then you are the city’s protector, then finally you care about yourself. You know that I have the power to ruin what is left of Laurel’s career and reputation. Roy is a broken man, literally. Who’s left? Thea? Then after your little sister, I’ll rip the city from you. Then and only then will I let you take your last breath, knowing that I destroyed everything you have ever loved.”

Oliver desperately tried to speak, but Laurel’s name died on his lips as darkness to him.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver blinked his eyes open, it took a second to get his bearings and remove the fog from his eyes. He tried to move, only to see that he was chained to the wall. Oliver struggled against the chains. “You are not a man of steel, Oliver. The only way you are getting out of those chains is if I allow it. And I will, once you tell me something.”

Chase wiped the sweat from his brow. “In some religions and cultures, they believe that the only way you can work through your sins is to say them out loud.”

“Like confession?”

Chase snorted with amusement. “Something like that. So tell me, Oliver. What have you been too scared to tell your sister or Laurel? Huh? It’s only us here, and as soon as you tell me, you can leave.”

“I don’t know what you want me to tell you!” Oliver growled. “I already apologized, I can’t bring him back!”

“No, Laurel resurrected her sister, and Nyssa Raatko destroyed it. Maybe I should be targeting Laurel? Laurel is the one person who has never stopped being in your orbit, no matter what your desires are. Maybe I should finish what Damien Darhk started, what Slade Wilson attempted to do?”

Oliver struggled against the chains, his teeth clenched and spittle flying towards Adrian. “You touch Laurel, and I’ll kill you!”

“There he is!” He clapped. “You can’t hide from me, Oliver! I know ”

“You always had a bloodlust. A rabid dog that people unleashed onto their enemies.” He poked Oliver’s head. “Think about it. Robert sent you on a crusade to murder men and women. Amanda Waller did the same. So did Ra’s and The Bratva.”

Oliver’s stomach dropped. “I only did what I did to survive or protect others.”

“No,” Chase corrected, stepping back and firing an arrow into Oliver’s shoulder.

“Aargh!” Oliver cried into the empty room. “I’ll kill you!”

"You didn’t kill because you had to, so why? Why did you do it?”

Oliver’s eyes drooped, but his heart was still thumping, and could feel his entire body throb. He was a monster. A weapon. He wasn’t the man that Laurel or Thea loved. He wasn’t the hero that Curtis or Barry had in high regard. He was a monster that killed to sate his thirst for blood.

Who could love a monster?

“Because I wanted to….” He whispered.

“What?”

“I wanted to, and I liked it!”

Chase gave him a cocky smile. “Feel better now it’s in the open?” He inhaled and exhaled dramatically. “You are now free of your burdens, but this isn’t the end of our little play dates. When you wake up, you will be unchained and you can go home. I hope you feel better as I do, Oliver.” The next thing he saw was Chase hitting him with the butt-cap of his sword, knocking him out.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver woke up, and numbly found his way to the bunker. As he entered the underground base, he heard Thea swear. Laurel and Curtis turned around to see him. Laurel’s beautiful green eyes widened with a look of pity.

A monster didn’t deserve pity, nor sympathy.

His sister almost darted towards him, Laurel was close behind. Oliver stopped them before they could touch him. He didn’t deserve them. Chase was right, they didn’t know the real him, how could they? They hadn’t been through what he had.

“I’m done. We are done. I’m shutting down this operation.” He may be a rabid dog that needs to be put down, but Laurel, Thea, and Curtis didn't. Despite how he felt, he was doing the right thing. Perhaps it was the first right thing he had ever done. 

“Ollie...” Thea mumbled as she tried to reach out to him.

“Get out!” He ordered. “We are done here, there are no more heroes or vigilantes operating in this city.” Thea backed away as if she were burned. “I said get out!”


	16. Why We Fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A special thanks to my friend, Kasumikai, also known as Greensirencanary from the Lauriver Discord. She inspired me to write most of Oliver’s POV, near the end of the chapter with her fantastic edits. Without her inspiration, it would have taken much longer to write. Thank you, GSC!
> 
> I’m also posting this final chapter a day early to get ready for Lauriver Week. 

He watched as Curtis gently took his sister out of The Bunker. His eyes then moved to Laurel. Instead of leaving as he asked… Well commanded, she stood there in front of him, her arms crossed. Behind her stoic mask, he could see her fear, and likely what she thought was love. He closed his eyes as he clutched onto the railing of the command center. He would have to quash the love she thought she had for him. He was a monster, a man who was incapable of redemption. A man that was unworthy of love. After he had completely burned the remnants of vigilantism in the city, that was even tangentially related to him, he would resign from office.

The city, Laurel, Thea, Curtis, Roy. Everyone got hurt or killed because they were in his orbit. He would let the Queen family name die with him and Thea. Eventually, she would take Roy’s name or another. But he would die with the cursed name. His mother was a part of the Undertaking, and so was his Dad. His dad then turned him into the monster he is today. A beast to unleash upon the wicked, and innocent alive.

“Goodbye, Laurel. We are done. I’m done.” He swallowed, ignoring the hurt in her eyes, and the guilt rising in the pit of his stomach. “I’m going to destroy what’s down here, then I’ll destroy the redundancy base that was built underneath the Triangle. Oliver Queen and The Green Arrow died when we went to save Mackenzie Morgan.”

Her green eyes hardened. “I have just gotten started as The Black Canary. I don’t plan on stopping. If you won’t stop Chase, then I will!” There was steel in her voice, a tone that she used when she was arguing for something that she truly believed in.

“He will kill you, Laurel!” His heart thumped against his chest. Why was she being so pig-headed about this? Couldn't she tell that he was doing what was best not just for her, but for the city? Was she so ready to die, even after Iron Heights? “He will kill you slowly to make you a message, Laurel!”

She held her head up, not blinking. “My life was always moving towards my mask. I’m able to protect those that can’t protect themselves. That’s what you have been since you first stole from Adam Hunt, and returned the money to his victims.”

“You’re wrong Laurel. Chase was right, you see the boy that you fell in love with before the Gambit.” Laurel's jaw clenched, but she didn’t say anything. “My father pushed me into doing his wetworks. And every waking moment during my five years in hell, I was used and forged into a weapon. With one goal, to right my father’s wrongs and seek vengeance against Tempest.”

“And what about after them? Slade, Ra’s, and Darhk? Or every other criminal you put away that wasn’t related to Tempest or your father?”

“Slade was seeking revenge because I betrayed him. The man you love betrays people, Laurel. You of all people should know that.

“That’s low, Ollie.” She warned. Oliver winced. He knew the barb would hurt, picking at an old wound. And yet he had to hurt her to keep her alive. To keep Laurel safe. Oliver was a monster. He had to keep her away from himself and from Chase. “I forgave you. You are not the same person who was washed up on the shores of Lian Yu.”

“Laurel… I…”

“You don’t think that I love you? Or are you deluding yourself into believing you don’t love me? So, you talk about your Utopia when you were abducted? What was that then? Lies?” Oliver opened his mouth but was stopped when she glared at him. “If that’s the case, then tell me the truth, Oliver. Tell me that I mean nothing to you! Tell me that our daughter you met in the Dreamworld meant nothing!” She yelled at him.

He could hear Quentin’s voice, he seemed younger and more spirited in the back of his head.  _ “That’s the thing about Lances, we are stubborn and don’t bend easily.” _

Tears pooled in his eyes. His knees buckled underneath him. Oliver fell but was caught by Laurel before he hit the hard ground. “Come here.” She directed him to a seat and started to clean and suture his wounds.

He gritted his teeth as Laurel cleaned his burns with alcohol, before wrapping gauze over them. She then moved to the puncture wound and did the same before she started sewing it shut. She wasn’t being gentle, but he deserved that.

“Laurel…”

“Don’t. Whatever you are going to say, just don’t. If you want to sit there and drink Chase’s Kool-Aid, I won’t stop you. But you will not be burning down  _ my  _ team's equipment. I’ll have Curtis and Speedy come and pick them up tomorrow and we will be out of your hair. We will continue the mission that  _ you  _ started five years ago. Not the crusade that was to avenge your father, but the one that inspired me to help you. The one that Roy, Speedy, my Dad, and Curtis joined.”

He didn’t know what to say to that. Normally Laurel would argue with him until she was blue in the face, but she looked and sounded tired.

“I do love you, Laurel, but this is what’s best. Chase won. And I’m giving up.”

Laurel shook her head as she quietly pressed the dressing on his wound with a little too much pressure. “Sorry.” She mumbled. “I have always admired your tenacity, Oliver. Even if it has diminished over the past few years. You have to back it up. You have been slowly helping me get back up on my feet and into my jacket. My mask. Now, Star City needs the Green Arrow, just as much as the Black Canary. “

“Laurel, I can’t! He won, don’t you understand? He showed me who I really am, and if you didn’t have rose-tinted glasses, you would zip cuff me, and send me to the SCPD.”

“That’s bullshit!” She shouted at him, getting closer to him, her arms crossed, he stood up to match her determination. “He tortured you, Ollie! What kind of a sick bastard uses pain to change someone’s opinion? What stops him from killing us, then moving on to Central City? He then targets Barry. What about all the other innocents that he will hurt?”

Oliver froze. “That hesitation. That pause is not from someone who is a monster. That,” she said, placing her hand over his heart. “That is Ollie, the man who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. The man who asked me to marry him. The only reason I said no.” She said softly and cupped his jaw with her hand. “Was not because he was a monster, but because it could have ruined your reputation as the mayor, and the city needed you more than I did.”

Oliver leaned into her warm hand. And at that moment, nothing mattered. His fears, his aching, broken body, Chase, politics all disappeared into the void. All that was there at that moment was Laurel and him. Maybe she was right? He always pushed back, he had a fire inside of him. Laurel was stoking the fire within him, making him argue with her. The love of his life was challenging him. If he can stand up against her then just maybe he could do the same against Chase?

“The world is cruel, and there are even crueler people that exist. And that’s why there are people who stand against them. Heroes.” Laurel said, giving him a peck on the lips, before walking him to the sleeping quarters. Oliver yawned, as soon as his head hit the soft pillow. “I’ll be outside, preparing everything.”

“I am sorry for everything, Laurel. I love you.”

She turned and gave him a sad smile. “I love and forgive you, Ollie. I just wish that you were brave enough to love and forgive yourself.” She then turned off the light and closed the door.

  
  


::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver laid on his cot, facing away from the door, from her. She looked at Ollie. He was curled up in the fetal position, hugging himself. Laurel stood at the door watching him sleep, she inched closer to the bed, she didn’t want to wake him. Laurel wanted to hold the love of her life in her arms and console him. Help him fight the demons within.

She took another step into the small room. He stirred, and blinked, “Pretty Bird, what’s wrong?” He asked with an unusually small voice. The steel in his voice from earlier was gone.

Laurel blinked away the tears and sat on the edge of his small bed. “Ollie? I know that you believe that you are a monster, but you are not. You are a hero. You’re my hero.”

Oliver only shook his head before he lifted the white cellular blanket, inviting her in. Laurel bit her lip. Wondering if she should, was she taking advantage of Oliver's state of mind?? Despite her reluctance, she slid into the small bed, she carefully rested her head against his chest, carefully but lovingly pressed a kiss above the gauze. She wrapped her arms around him and felt him do the same. It was comforting to her, and she hoped he felt the same.

“What kind of hero can’t protect those he loves? Everyone around me dies or gets hurt. I’m a murderer.” He croaked.

Laurel leveraged herself up a bit in the bed, so she could see his teary blue eyes and gently moved his face to hers so that he could see the sincerity in her eyes. “You are a good hero. Ollie, no one is saying that you have to be perfect. People are going to die, that’s the unfortunate truth about not just vigilantism, but life. He kissed her before resting his head on her chest. Laurel’s arms wrapped around him as he sobbed.

For now, she would comfort the love of her life. Tomorrow, she would coax him into being the man she admired. Laurel would help Oliver build himself back up to being the hero that he was always meant to be. A man that wouldn’t cower to the machinations of Adrian Chase. After what felt like hours, Oliver’s sobs and tears ebbed, before his breathing evened out. She pressed her lips lovingly against his stubbled cheek. “Every time you fall, I’ll be there to catch you, as you have done for me. Always and Forever.” Having said that final promise to Ollie, she allowed herself to close her eyes.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Thea hadn’t seen or heard from her brother since he reappeared with burns and a puncture wound. She could still remember vividly when Oliver had walked into the bunker, looking like hell. Her brother looked almost as bad when their mother was killed in front of them, and again when Laurel almost died. It was as if he was mourning. Despite his pain and anguish, it didn’t explain why he had commanded her, Curtis, and Laurel to cease any and all acts of vigilantism. That they were done. He had explained this to them with a strangely calm voice before he ordered all of them out.

Only Laurel didn’t leave the bunker, she crossed her arms and remained still. Thea still remembered as she felt Curtis wrap his arm around her, before taking her to his home. Thea could still hear Oliver and Laurel shouting at each other as the elevator ascended to the street level. That was almost a week ago, and she still hadn't heard from either of them.

Finally, she had enough of the radio silence. She had told Walter what she thought had happened, and he told her to give them time. The only issue was that the last time she gave Ollie time, he disappeared with Felicity for months. While she doubted that Laurel would leave Star City, especially during such a tumultuous time, she felt like she needed to give them a prod in the right direction.

Thea paced back and forth in the elevator, and once it opened she saw Laurel hitting the punching bags hard. The chain rattled with each hit. “Laurel?” Thea asked softly, stepping into the Bunker properly. “How’s Ollie? Are we still officially disbanded?

Laurel looked pensive for a second. “I think that he is coming around. Chase really shook him.” She then hugged Thea. “I’m sorry that it has taken so long for us to get a message to you.” Laurel clicked her tongue. “We wouldn’t leave you behind, Speedy. Ollie and I have been talking, and arguing for the last few days.”

“Mom always said she liked how you two challenge each other to be better.” Thea gave her a small smile before it took on a more mischievous one. “Hope you two are using protection, as much as I would love another niece or nephew, we have to deal with Chase first.”

Laurel rolled her eyes and bumped her shoulder against Thea’s. “We will be careful  _ Mom _ .” She then took on a more serious look. “How’s Roy?”

“He has a few more days of rehab before he should be ready to leave the ARGUS hospital, they are really pushy with their rules.” Thea then remembered something that Walter wanted to run by Laurel. “Before I forget, Walter has two people he would like to run by you as your replacement.”

“And they are?”

“You?”

“No, I want to continue with rebuilding CNRI from the ground up. We need to build a legacy that surrounds Ollie’s tenure as mayor. The second person?”

“Joanna De La Vega. She has a history of helping people as you do.” Laurel smiled, “Ask her. Jo would say yes in a heartbeat if she is able, and she will be good for the city.”

Thea nodded and gave her sister-in-all-but-name a final hug. "Everyone is keeping an ear out for Chase. We will make him pay for what he has done.”

Laurel jerked her head in agreement. “We will.”

Thea walked into the elevator and pulled her phone from her pocket as she pressed the button to send her to the office. She flicked her fingers across the screen and called Curtis. “Curtis. Laurel and Ollie are alright.” The door opened, and she exited, only to hear a loud thud. She turned around to see that the elevator had closed. She pressed the button, but nothing worked. “We may need you down here. The elevator has stopped working.” Thea turned her head to see something that made her blood run cold. It was Roy’s severed arm stored in ice.

_ “Thea? Thea!?” _

“Get down here now, and get Roy. Chase has entombed Laurel and Ollie in the bunker!”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver sat on the chair. He could hear Laurel training in the background, hearing each punch and kick into the hard bag. Laurel had brought up a good point. What did Chase know about him compared to Laurel? She has known him almost her entire life. She has loved him for just about as long. He turned his head to look at their suits sitting in their display cases.

It was at that moment he realized something, if his life had turned out differently he would never have become the man that could protect Star City. He would never have become the Green Arrow, the island would never have scraped off what he never was. And while people have died during his watch, and have killed people, people he shouldn’t have, there are countless innocents that have lived because of him, because of the people he inspired to join him to become a hero.

He was more annoyed at himself than anyone right now. Why did he have to be so stubborn, and believe Chase more than anyone else? He didn’t know how Laurel was so patient with him, granted they did argue a few times within the week, but for the most part, they either talked or spent their time together in contented silence.

Oliver watched as Laurel practically danced around the punching bags with grace. He looked down at his watch to see that it was now evening. Oliver sighed, taking another glance at their suits.

“I’m the Green Arrow.” He whispered. “No one, not even Chase can change that.” He rose and moved towards the suit, his fingers dancing over the dark green fabric. He had come so far from the boy who had put on Yao Fei’s hood.

Oliver felt Laurel rest her head against his good arm. He naturally wrapped his arm around her and looked past the suits to see his parents and Quentin's ghosts looking at the two of them with pride. His father didn’t look at him with scorn for exchanging his crusade for one greater in scope. His mother and Quentin looked at him, his mother gesturing towards the table that had a small drawer that hid her engagement ring. The one that he had proposed to Laurel months before.

He rubbed Laurel’s forearm. He wanted to go out on patrol with her. Just him and her against the world. “Pretty Bird, how about we suit up, and patrol for the night? Maybe afterwards, we can order in, and get some pizza from Mario’s?”

Laurel looked at him, her gorgeous green eyes sparkling at him with adoration and pride. “Are you sure you're ready? We don’t need to rush it.”

Oliver’s lips inched upwards as he leaned down to capture her lips with his. “I’m ready to be fighting by your side, Pretty Bird. Chase won’t stop us from living our lives, or from saving our city.”

They kissed again, Laurel’s eyes watered and made her eyes shimmer in the light. “Ask me again, Ollie.”

Oliver’s stomach did a somersault. HIs chest thumped, he flexed his hand to feel his palms were sweaty. She wanted to stand with him, always and forever, damned the consequences. Laurel had followed him into vigilantism, and he had followed her into the government to protect their city. They always found a way to be on the same page even if sometimes they quarreled. They loved each other more than life itself.

And that was why she had initially rejected his proposal after the Dominator Invasion. She was worried about his reputation. She was putting the city before her own wants or needs, just as he had done countless times over in the past. He bit back a small laugh. His mother always said that he and Laurel were meant to be together. They were so similar and yet different in so many ways. They brought out the best in each other.

Oliver walked over to the steel table and unlocked the drawer. He pulled out the leather-bound box. His fingers danced over the black leather. He smiled again before moving towards Laurel. He knelt. “Dinah Laurel Lance.” He said as his heart thumped against his chest wall. “Pretty Bird. Will you Marry me?”

Laurel gave him a watery smile, before latching on to him, they kissed. It felt as if he was whole for the first time in his life. Laurel was always his better half. It must have been minutes before Laurel finally unlatched herself, and allowed him to put his mother’s ring on her finger.”Yes.” She said after the ring was on her finger, she cupped his jaw as they kissed again.

Laurel looked at her new engagement ring, and her breath hitched. “This is your mother’s ring, Ollie. I can’t take it.”

“You can. She would be proud that you are wearing her ring.” Oliver replied adamantly.

The betrothed couple sat there in The Bunker, in each other’s embrace. Oliver could tell that they both felt a sense of contentment. It was something that he hadn’t felt in years. For the first time since perhaps just before the Undertaking, he could see a glimpse into the future. He and Laurel tying the knot, perhaps later down the road, having two children, a son and a daughter. Both with blonde hair, his daughter having his eyes, and their son with Laurel’s green eyes.

Laurel rubbed his arm up and down with her left hand. “So did you want to go home, or did you want to go on patrol?”

“Which would you prefer, Pretty Bird?”

“Whatever makes you happy, Ollie. We are a team now. Partners in life”

Oliver helped her stand up and moved to the suits. He owed it to her to show her how much it meant to him. Before Oliver could reach the suit, the computer beeped. Which was strange, since he could have sworn he turned it off after he had sent Thea and Curtis out. He couldn’t wait to tell them in person.

“Oliver? Laurel?” A voice that sounded suspiciously like Curtis called out to them.

Laurel walked over with him, hand in hand, to see Curtis in what would become the new CNRI office. “Curtis? What’s going on?”

Their friend had a strange ball in his hand. “You didn’t know? Thea thinks Chase disabled the elevator, trapping you both in there. Maybe he was attempting to starve you out, kind of like a medieval siege?” He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter, the T-sphere should be able to make the necessary repairs to both the elevator and the garage doors.”

Their friend’s eyes widened as he saw the ring on Laurel’s finger. “Oh my god! You finally did it!” Curtis cheered, his voice going up an octave. I’m so happy for you, both.” He then clicked his tongue. “You will have to make a romantic cover story to explain to people where you got engaged. In a super-secret basement is hardly ideal…”

“Curtis,” Oliver growled. “Focus. How long will it take to get us out?”

“I won’t know until the T-Sphere has a look.”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Walter adjusted his speech notes. He knew that he would have to pick up the slack for his step-son. It was the least he could do, especially after Oliver had revealed to him one night that he was the Green Arrow. The young man took him into his old campaign office and down into some sort of basement.

It was the underground base that he had built and shared with the other heroes. He could still remember looking in awe at the various suits that were on display. The coal-black leather of The Black Canary, and the blood-red suit of the Red Arrow. At the center was the emerald green suit of the most influential hero of Starling.

He could still remember how Oliver had put his faith in him. It brought a tear to Walter’s eyes. Despite their rocky start, Oliver considered him to be family. Walter wouldn’t break Oliver’s faith in him. Not now, not ever!

Walter walked up to the podium. He could see the citizens, the many people who worked at City Hall, and the reporters including Susan Williams. Walter took a sip from his glass, cleared his throat, and gave a small nod to Theodore Grant who stood beside him in solidarity.

“Good evening. Mayor Oliver Queen is currently unable to attend this evening. Though he requested that I, on his behalf, read what he wished he could say to the fine people of Star City.”

Walter cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. “In many respects, the word terrorism is too antiseptic an expression to describe what has happened in the past year. It is too technical and too formal. Oliver described the attacks and espionage committed by Simon Morrison, formally known to the public and in this government as District Attorney Adrian Chase. Morrison committed barbaric, brutal means of striking terror against our populations. He sought to bring us and you down to our knees without justification.”

Walter knew that it wasn’t true. Chase was in a blood-fueled vendetta against Oliver. But just like the white lie that he had already made to the people. That Oliver had both sanctioned and written parts of this speech. His job was to ensure that everyone stood together, that they kept their faith in the government, and Oliver to avoid anarchy.

“Starling City has known terrorism. And has for the past half-decade. Morrison will not be the last. Oliver continues to state that we will not fall. That we will prevail. Each and every one of us will be defined in how we conduct ourselves in the coming days, weeks, and months. We must stand strong, stand fast, stand together.”

Walter took another sip of water. “Many of you don’t know The Queen Family, nor the Lances. I have had the privilege of knowing them for most of their lives. Oliver Jonas Queen, Dinah Laurel Lance, and Thea Dearden Queen are strong. They do not bend. Not even to the insidious nature of Morrison’s Machiavellian machinations. Laurel Lance may have stepped down, true, but she, along with many others, is reconstituting the Community Resources Initiative. CNRI.”

“Since Simon Morrison is an illegitimate District Attorney and was stripped of his rank and office, another community-orientated attorney will pick up where Miss Lance left off. And while she is currently out of the city visiting family. She wishes for the city to know her name to assuage and allay their fears. Her name is District Attorney Joanna de la Vega.”

The next thing he knew, he was thrown backwards, he stumbled to the ground clutching his shoulder. An arrow was embedded into his arm. Walter grimaced as he applied pressure. “I don’t appreciate slander, Mr. Steele.” A familiar voice echoed through the room as the lights shattered. Walter’s eyes opened in horror as he watched Morrison drag a young woman and a young boy that looked remarkably like Oliver to the stage. He turned his gaze to check on Mr. Grant, only to see that he had disappeared. Most likely fled while he still could. Hopefully, the Director of FEAST could get them immediate assistance. His eyes moved towards where Thea and Roy Harper were, and like Theadore before them, they had disappeared. Though he had faith that his daughter and Mr. Harper would bring the cavalry to them.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

As soon as she saw Walter fall to the ground due to the arrow that Chase had shot, Thea wanted to shove everyone back so that she could protect the last father figure she had. As much as she loved and missed her real father, Robert Queen, she could only remember his smile and his laugh. Quentin and Walter were different, they had been around during her formative years, and helped her into adulthood. She was about to shove a man out of the way when Roy grabbed her with his good arm. “We need to go.” He half-dragged her into Oliver’s office, where they fashioned lower face masks from one of Oliver’s spare shirts and donned their hoodies before going out. They didn’t have their weapons, and they knew that Oliver and Laurel were indisposed. Chase had planned this.

They snuck in and moved towards the dais, only for Chase to look at them with amusement.

“Who do we have here? Speedy and Arsenal.” He sniggered sporting a sadistic grin. “How’s the arm?”

“You are about to find out.”

Roy lunged for him, Chase easily dodged every punch and kick. He grabbed Roy’s mechanical arm and used Roy’s inertia to send him off the stage, and down to the floor below with a sickening thud. It was at that moment, she noticed that Chase had yanked a small boy from his mother’s arms. William. Her nephew. Oliver’s son. Thea hesitated and raised her hands as Chase held a throwing star to her nephew’s young vulnerable neck.

“Don’t hurt him. If you do, I'll stab you with that weapon, and garrote you with your bowstring!” Thea snarled, sounding more like a caged animal than a person.

“You will do no such thing.” Chase snapped his fingers, and men wearing black military gear came out from the shadows, some even overlooked from the balcony above. “ Did you really think I would come alone?” He shook his head in disappointment. “I hired some mercenaries. They have a bit of an issue with The Green Arrow, as I do. You see, “ He said in a lower tone. “He killed their leaders. Eddie Fyers and Billy Wintergreen. Not everyone in the company was stationed at Lian Yu ten years ago.”

Chase gestured with his head to a soldier to grab Roy and take him to the stage. Chase threw William towards his mother, before smirking. “Your father is nothing but shit beneath my boot. And you will help me show him that, my sweet boy.” He reeled back his arm.

Before Thea could intercept the throwing star that would kill her nephew. Walter seemed to spring up with an unnatural speed and took the bladed weapon to his neck, preventing it from killing William. Thea watched dazedly as Samantha shirked off her sweater and covered Walter from her son’s eyes, and to provide Walter with the dignity that he deserved.

She wasn’t sure who was sobbing and yelling. It could have been her. It could have been William or Samantha. Or someone in the crowd. All she knew was that Walter had died saving his grandson. He died saving Ollie’s son. Walter Steele was a hero. All she could hear right now was the thumping of her chest.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Morgan had men surrounding the building. Chase was something very different from the rest of the criminals he had arrested or butted heads with. He didn’t know how the man, and apparently a small army, had gotten through the security cordon.

Cameron passed around the command outpost. He had sent Captain Pike and Officers Murdock and Meatoga to find where Oliver Queen and Dinah Laurel Lance were and bring them down here. “Morgan, have you managed to figure out what is happening in there?”

Morgan scratched his beard. “Castiglione, says he saw a man wearing a black suit through a window. The Vigilante choked out a mercenary before he could take a shot. He reported that the vigilante was as graceful as a cat.”

“So we have another variable? Good on you.” He sneered. “You managed to screw up a bloody security cordon! What use are you then, Morgan? Huh?”

Mack stood there stoically. The blame rested on his shoulders. He deserved a good dressing down. “I underestimated Morrison. It will not happen again. As for this vigilante, Castiglione mentioned that he fought like a ferocious wild cat, with just as much grace. I believe that he is in league with the Green Arrow and Black Canary, sir.”

“You better hope he is, Lieutenant. It’s your badge if this cat vigilante fucks up this operation.” Cameron left to look at the security feed from the sniper’s roost. God, he hoped that the vigilantes would help carry some of the burdens that rested on his shoulders.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver didn’t know how long it took, but Curtis had finally gotten the doors open and started helping them pack all of the necessities for their night job into the black paneled van, including their suits. Perhaps it was time to move to another base? They could take the old League safe houses and refurbish them? Either way, that was for another day to ponder.

At that moment, he had to get everything ready. Curtis had turned on the radio, and that is when Oliver felt a sense of dread creep through to his bones.

“It is not a surprise to the people of Star City that their City Hall has been taken at gunpoint. Our sources state that it is the work of the recent terrorist, Simon Morrison. Morrison had fooled every man and woman within the city. The attack occurred as Deputy Mayor Walter Steele was making an address.”

“I’ll set up in the redundancy base. After we deal with Chase... err… Morrison, We will need to take the rest of the stuff out and decommission the bunker. Maybe let it lay low, and maybe after a few years we can reuse it as a redundancy base.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his beautiful fiancee standing next to him in her suit. “Let’s stop Chase once and for all.”

He and Laurel sped toward City Hall. As they stopped in an alleyway and moved around to enter the building, they saw Lieutenant Morgan point at them with his index and middle finger. He walked over to them, in the shadows. “Been waiting for you two to show up.”

“What’s the situation?”

“Morrison has taken City Hall. We suspect that he has Walter Steele, Thea Queen, and Roy Harper hostage. He has not made any demands as of yet.”

“He won’t.” Black Canary said through her modulator. “This is his last stand. He wants to cripple the leadership of Star City. If Star CIty loses its leadership, everything falls.”

“Interesting theory.” He cleared his throat and looked around once again. “You should know, a man wearing a black suit is inside.”

Oliver chewed the inside of his cheek. “Terrific. Activate Wildcat’s comms. He’s inside.” Oliver felt a sense of relief that Ted was within the building. He just hoped that Ted remained in the shadows until he and Laurel could back him up. Right now he was utilizing guerrilla warfare, but that would only last so long before they realized that some people were missing.

_ “On it, G.A.” _

“I should have known he was one of yours.” Morgan shuffled his feet. “The skylight on the west side of the building is the only place we couldn’t cover. That’s your way in.” Oliver gave him a small nod, and fired his grapple arrow, and wrapped his arm around Laurel. “I never said thank you to either of you.”

“And you will never have to,” Oliver said, noticing Laurel giving him a look of pride and adoration before they flew up into the air. A few seconds later, they had jumped through the skylight and entered the building.

They walked over a couple of knocked out mercenaries. “Pretty Bird,” Oliver whispered as he noticed a familiar coat of arms on one of the soldiers. A skull biting a combat knife. Oliver could vividly see the mercenaries torturing him, and keeping him in the cages. He felt his heart thumping against his chest. “I know these men. I fought against them on Lian Yu.”

He watched Laurel move closer to him and felt her fishnet glove against his arm. “Chase is trying to get back inside your head. Don’t let him.” Her voice and her physical contact grounded him. He exhaled and gave her a thankful smile before he looked at the dark corridor in front of them.

Oliver swallowed and kept moving. Seeing a couple more men that were hidden in the shadows and unconscious. The building was as silent as a crypt. “Wildcat has been busy,” Laurel muttered under her breath. They moved towards the fire escape, the door was banged open, and Ted sprang out, ready to fight, only he stopped as soon as he recognized who they were.

“Canary. Arrow.” He said through a gravelly voice. “Terrific told me to head to this floor to meet you. Morrison has a small boy, and his mother along with Thea, and her boyfriend.” He hesitated for a brief second. “I couldn’t save Walter. He died as a hero. He died protecting the little boy. I’m sorry I know you held him in high esteem. He was a good man.”

Oliver’s throat bobbed. “I did. He was.”

“The boy. What did he look like?”

“Dark hair. He must be someone valuable for Morrison to take him.”

Oliver looked at Laurel, who looked just as pale. She suspected who it was, just as he did. Chase had William and Samantha hostage along with his sister and Roy.” His hand clenched around his bow, enough to make him wince from the pressure. “He is important. The boy is my son.”

“Shit!” Ted swore as he directed them down the stairs. “He’s in your office, last I saw.” He then gripped Oliver’s shoulder. “You and Laurel head to the office. I’ll look after the other hostages and take out the mercs. Be safe.”

Laurel gave him a small nod. “You too,”

Oliver stopped Ted as he was about to leave through the door. “Good luck, WIldcat.” Wildcat didn’t say anything, he simply gave him a smirk, before gesturing with his head down the hall where Oliver’s office is.

“Save your family.” Oliver watched Ted race down the hall, as silent as a shadow.

He watched as Laurel walked in the opposite direction, and silently stalked towards Oliver’s office. Oliver peaked through the frosted glass, before giving Laurel a thumbs up to open the door with her cry. It would serve as an improvised concussion grenade.

SCREEEEEEEEEE

The two heroes rushed in to see that the room was empty with the exception of his family. Oliver rushed over to his son, holding his handsome face in his hands. “Are you alright?” He asked, looking up from his son to his mother.

Samantha nodded. “Barely. He left a few minutes ago.”

“Arrow!” Laurel called for him. He rushed out of the room to see Laurel fighting Chase. She ducked under his roundhouse kick and sent her baton into his leg that he was putting his weight on. Chase stumbled backwards. Chase threw a throwing star, hitting Laurel in the arm.

Oliver rushed in and tackled Chase. He started fighting the man who had tried to ruin his life for the last year. He had almost ruined Laurel’s life. Roy’s life. He almost killed William. All Oliver could see was red, and his blood was thumping in his ears.

He didn’t feel the kick to his face, not at first, not until Chase had Oliver in a headlock. It was then that he felt the burning sensation of the gash in his hairline, and felt the warm coppery liquid drip down his forehead and cheek. “It’s over Oliver. I have your entire family in this building. Pity you can’t visit them in the afterlife, not where you are going!

“That’s not your call!” Laurel bellowed, throwing her baton, Oliver managed to catch it, and slug chase upside the head.”

“Ooh. Cunning aren’t we?” Oliver watched in horror as Chase threw something towards Laurel and his eyes widened as the cords wrapped around her throat. “No more cries,  _ Pretty Bird. _ ” All Oliver could hear was her choking as the cord tightened around her neck.

  
  


::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Mack Morgan ran his fingers through his beard as he watched the live feed from a camera attached to Castiglione’s rifle. He could see everything that the trained sniper could. Cameron was back at headquarters dealing with the press, while Pike was still trying to hunt down Queen and Lance. 

Mack watched as Wildcat, a buddy of Green Arrow and Black Canary. And according to his research, a formally retired vigilante who used to protect the glades over ten years ago was taking out the soldiers in the press room. Wildcat was darting around like a Russian gymnast.

_ “I have my sights on a few tangos. Am I sanctioned to take the shot?” _

“Lethal force is granted, Castiglione. I repeat, lethal force is granted, but do not. I repeat. Do not harm the civilians nor the vigilantes known as; Wildcat, Black Canary, Green Arrow, Speedy, or Arsenal. They're on our side.”

_ “Acknowledged.” _ He heard the sniper mutter.

_ BANG. _

_ BANG. _

_ BANG. _

_ “Three shots. Three kills.” _

Morgan only nodded. He watched as the soldiers dropped to the floor, dead. One was killed by a shot to the head, another took a bullet to the chest, and the other took a hit to the liver or kidneys. He exhaled. It was never easy killing someone, nor giving the order. “Acknowledged. And Wildcat?”

_ “He is directing the hostages out one of the side doors on the far east side, away from the mayoral offices, Sir.” _

Morgan looked over to his right to see Officer Ritter next to him. “Assemble the taskforce, Jess. We are going in.”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver moved towards Laurel. His head ached. “If you don’t go out to the press room, Oliver, and reveal to the world who you are, and the crimes you committed. I will cut her throat out so slowly that it will take longer than normal for her to die. Then I’ll do the same for Roy, Thea, your son, and his mother.

Oliver kissed Laurel’s head and discreetly pressed a flechette in her hand as she wheezed through the cords.

He lowered his hood, then his mask and followed Chase’s directions to the press room. Just to hear Chase growl in frustration. “How did you do it?” Chase growled as he pointed at the mercenaries that Ted had dealt with.

“I didn’t.”

“Did your buddy John Diggle join the party? Or was it Mr. Allen? Or Maybe The Legends?” He sniggered in Oliver’s ear. “That’s right. I know all of your secrets, Oliver. In the end, and this is the end, I want you to know that I have always been ten steps ahead of you, even if you have managed to escape my net a few times.”

Chase moved towards the camera to set it back up.

“SCPD! Don’t move!” Mack Morgan bellowed. His rifle was aimed at Chase.

Chase looked like he was about to feign his surrender when he heard it.

SCREEEEEE

Laurel’s cry shattered the lights in the room, broke the cameras, and sent chase flying into the wall. Oliver raced towards him and started pummeling the bastard’s head against the hard floor. Chase smirked through the whole ordeal, not caring that he was being severely injured.

“Arrow,” Morgan growled. “Step back!”

Oliver reluctantly returned to Laurel, who helped him up, he could just make out the bruising around her neck. She then gently put his mask around his head to make sure it was in place. It was a nice gesture, but it didn’t mean anything, not when Morgan saw his face.

As Oliver’s back was turned to Chase, the man must have made a move because Oliver heard gunfire. He spun around to see Chase slumped back against the wall, holding his bleeding stomach. “Get out of here!” Morgan ordered them, before ordering an ambulance for Simon Morrison.

“But what about?”

“I didn’t see anyone in this room except Starling’s two vigilantes. Black Canary and Green Arrow.” He then gave Oliver a look, to imply that he wouldn’t mention on the official report who the two heroes really were.

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver stood on the roof adjacent to City Hall, next to Laurel. He squeezed her hand in his as they watched Chase being dragged out on a gurney. Oliver wanted to kill him, but he had to show himself that he was better than Chase. That he wasn’t the monster that Chase tried to make him believe he was.

A few seconds later, he heard the telltale whirling of a helicopter and watched it land at the closest intersection. Several men wearing black and outfitted with ARGUS gear walked out. He watched as Diggle jumped out and headed to Mack Morgan. Several minutes later, Chase was put into ARGUS custody and taken aboard the helicopter.

_ “Oliver. I have Chase in ARGUS custody. He will be detained in the darkest hole we can find for him, and then throw away the keys.” _ Diggle mentioned over the comms. Curtis must have patched him in. He will rot down there, I assure you.”

“Thank you, John.”

_ “By the way. Congratulations. To both of you. Have you set a date? _ ”

Laurel’s swollen lip inched upwards. “Not yet, but when we do, you and Lyla will know.”

::-:-:-::-:-:-::

Oliver stood over another grave. He still couldn’t believe that Walter had died. Only Malcolm remained of the old guard. If he ever counted as the ‘old guard.’ He felt Laurel and Thea on either side of him.

“Walter died a hero.”

Thea gave him a watery smile. “His last moments were rallying the city, and protecting his grandson. I can’t think of a more noble way to go out.”

Oliver swallowed hard, as he looked at the disturbed earth that now covered his stepfather. Walter would have wanted him to continue what they had started since they became a team. They still had so far to go until Star City could be on its feet. Oliver looked over to see where Roy and Ted were sitting. Perhaps it was time to have the baton passed to another person who knew intimately just how broken their city was, someone he could trust.

Roy would be his deputy. But now wasn’t the time to plan ahead, this was a time to mourn. He wrapped his arm around Thea and kissed the top of her head, and guided her, and Laurel to the town car, with Ted and Roy following soon after.

Thea leaned against Roy and wiped the running massacre from her eyes. Her sobs ebbed a little as she noticed the ring on Laurel’s ring. She gave them a teary smile, and leaned over towards them, giving them both a kiss on the cheek and a hug. “I’m so happy for you two!”

“Congratulations!” Roy said with a small smile.

“I’m happy for you!” Ted said, shaking his hand.

“Now that we have some downtime since Chase is gone, we can organize everything, and set a date.”

“Just not early December,” Thea said. “I have a feeling that is when things spiral out of control for everyone.”

Oliver snorted and pulled Laurel against him. He wasn’t the monster that CHase had painted him as. He was a hero on equal footing with the likes of The Flash and The Black Canary. He’s Emerald Archer and he was home. Oliver Queen was a happy man. He had a beautiful loving fiancee, his sister was safe, and his son and his mother had decided to leave the country for Australia to live closer to her parents.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who read this fic until the end and a special thank you to those that left reviews. I really appreciate it!


End file.
